Into the Abyss
by Allen the Musician
Summary: They say that whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger... but that isn't always the case. Sometimes what doesn't kill you only turns you as dark and twisted as the other people that inhabit this flawed Earth. AU origin fic for the 14th Noah.
1. Hatred

Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man.

A/N - I have absolutely no basis for this story. I was just thinking about Mana and the 14th and ended up writing this.

Warning - Scenes of child abuse in the first chapter, which I personally do not condone. No one has the right to hurt anyone else and especially not someone completely innocent. This being said, you have been warned.

Chapter One - Hatred

"You little bastard!"

A small boy with mahogany hair that curled slightly at the ends and large, expressive gray eyes stood in a corner as a large man bellowed at him. The smell of liquor hung heavy on the man as he stalked toward the child, a look of utter loathing etched on his face. His very posture was menacing and there could be no doubt about his intentions as far as the boy was concerned. The child's body began to shake as the man strode toward him, knowing what was inevitably going to happen. The small boy had absolutely no idea what he'd done to incur the man's wrath on this particular occassion but then again knew that he didn't really have to do anything.

His very existence infuriated the man.

Reaching out the tall man grasped the little boy by the arm, pulling him from the corner with such force that the child's arm actually popped out of socket with a very audible noise. Fire seemed to spread through his arm and the little boy screamed in pain. For which he was rewarded with a vicious slap to the face.

"Shut up you little wretch!" the man roared as he continued to drag the child along by his left arm. Tears appeared in the boy's gray eyes, a fiery pain seeming to consume his entire arm, but he didn't cry out again. Knowing that he would only be rewarded with more pain if he did so.

Muttering incoherently under his breath the man pulled the child along, stumbling slightly owing to the amount of alcohol that he had consumed. When he reached a closed door the little boy made an attempt to pull himself free, dragging his feet along and making every attempt not to be taken into the room.

"Please… no…" he whimpered, his voice so low that it was barely audible. Fear was clearly evident in his gray eyes as the child fought against the man's hold and begged for mercy. A mercy that he knew was highly unlikely.

The man turned a glare in the direction of the boy and, with a harsh motion, lifted the child by the arm that had been dislocated earlier. This caused the child to scream in pain once again but the man's face held not even the slightest hint of remorse as he carried the screaming child into the room. The door then slammed closed and all that could be heard was the sound of leather striking flesh and the muffled cries of the little boy.

After what seemed like an eternity the door of the room opened once again and the little boy slipped back out. The child closed the door softly behind himself and quickly made his way to the corner that he had previously occupied. Sitting down, the little boy pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping the one arm that he could still use around them. His left arm hung limply at his side and tears flowed down his face, although he made no sound.

The little boy placed his chin on his knees and stared ahead, willing his mind to go somewhere, anywhere but this place where he felt trapped. And hated. By someone who should have cherished him.

"Why?" the little boy mouthed, his lips forming the words even though no sound came out. "What did I do?"

* * *

About half an hour passed and then the sound of the front door opening jarred the child from his thoughts. Glancing up, body still trembling, the child waited for someone to enter the room, more than a little afraid of who it might be. A few moments passed and then an older boy with brown hair and matching eyes entered the room.

And immediately froze.

"Neah…" The older boy rushed over to the corner where the younger was sitting and dropped to his knees in front of him.

"Mana…" The little boy's voice was barely above a whisper and the older had to strain to hear him. "Why does he hate me so much?"

Mana didn't even have to ask who 'he' was. He already knew and a sick feeling was spreading through his stomach as he gazed at the trembling child. Reaching out he carefully pulled his little brother into his arms, noticing as he did so that there appeared to be something wrong with the little boy's left arm. "He doesn't hate you Neah," the boy said, even though he knew that his words weren't true. No matter how much he might wish otherwise there could be no denying the fact that the man loathed the very sight of his younger son. "He's just not right when he drinks…"

"He hates me," Neah said in a hollow sounding tone, pulling away and gazing into his brother's kind brown eyes. "He said… said he wished that I'd never been born. Said it's all my fault." A questioning look appeared on the child's face at this point, meshing with the look of pure pain that Neah already wore. "What's all my fault Mana? What did I do?"

Mana hesitated, reaching out and running a hand through his brother's soft mahogany hair. The hair that he had inherited from their mother. It was a question that he was capable of answering. He knew the reason why their father couldn't stand the sight of his youngest child but the simple fact of the matter was that he didn't want to tell Neah the truth.

Because it would only cause the little boy more pain.

"Listen to me Neah." Mana's tone was commanding and he didn't continue until his brother's gray eyes were focused on his face. "You didn't do anything wrong, do you hear me?"

"Then why?" the child questioned, not understanding why he suffered so much and hadn't done anything to deserve it.

"I wish I knew little one," Mana said with a sigh. He knew that what happened wasn't Neah's fault and wished that his father understood that. But the man was still grieving for the wife that he had lost four years ago and still angry at the child whose birth had weakened her. The doctor had said that the childbirth wasn't really the cause of her death but his father had refused to believe that and had shunned Neah since the day that he was born.

And, as time progressed and the child grew to greatly resemble his mother, their father had gone from completely ignoring the boy's existence to being abusive toward him. It was as though the very sight of Neah caused him pain; a horrible pain that he seemed to want to inflict upon the child. Perhaps as a means of retribution for the perceived crime.

Mana once again pulled the child into his embrace but Neah stiffened and whimpered in pain. The child pulled away from his older brother's arms, longing for the comfort but not wanting to endure the pain. Gazing down, Mana tentatively ran his hand along Neah's limp left arm.

"Hurts…" Neah whispered, tears glistening in his gray eyes.

"I'm sorry Neah," Mana said sincerely, his gaze shifting to one of the closed doors. He knew that his brother needed medical attention but was almost scared to seek it. There was a cautious look in his brown eyes; his father had never done anything to him but he didn't want to risk angering him further where Neah was concerned. "Is he asleep?"

Which really translated into 'has he passed out from the alcohol yet'.

Neah nodded, once again shuddering involuntarily. That was the only reason why he had been able to escape the horrible punishment that his father had felt completely justified in administering. The man had been too drunk to continue. Neah averted his gaze from the door that Mana was staring at, pushing horrific memories to the back of his mind. Leaving them there to haunt his dreams later.

"Come on," Mana said in a soothing tone of voice, getting to his feet and taking his brother by his right hand. Neah hesitated briefly before he slowly got to his feet, his small hand gripping his brother's as though it were his life line.

Leaving the house Mana led the way down the street, coming to a halt at a house a couple of doors down from their own.

"No…" Neah pulled to a stop the moment that he realized where it was that they were going. "No, Mana."

"Neah," Mana said, kneeling down so that he could look into his brother's gray eyes. He could see the fear that was displayed in those stormy orbs and wanted desperately to quell that terror. Because his little brother had already suffered more than anyone should ever have to. The simple fact of the matter was that Neah was terrified of adults, since the only one that he had any regular interaction with was an abusive bastard, but Mana knew that something had to be done about the little boy's arm. It couldn't be left in it's current condition and he couldn't fix it. "We have to get someone to take care of your arm… even though I know you don't want to."

Neah really didn't want to, scared that the doctor would only make it worse, but he nodded slowly. He didn't trust anyone else but he trusted his older brother. "O…okay Mana."

"Good boy." Mana tousled the younger boy's hair briefly before getting to his feet and leading him up to the door. Neah was still somewhat reluctant but he followed his older brother none the less. Reaching out, the older of the two boys knocked on the door and then stepped back; hoping that the man was home and would help them.

A few minutes passed before the door slowly opened and a middle aged man wearing a brown suit stepped out. His gaze briefly surveyed the two boys, recognizing them as living a few houses down from his own. "Is there something that I can help you boys with?" he questioned, gazing at the pair with an intent expression on his face.

"You're a doctor right sir?" Mana asked, noting that his brother had hidden behind him the moment that the door opened. He had noticed the sign that hung above the door, which declared this a doctor's office, and was hoping that he was speaking to the right person.

"That is correct," the man said, one eyebrow arched. "My name's Dr. Thomas Baker. Is there something that I can help you with son?"

Tugging gently on the small hand that he still held clasped in his own Mana moved Neah so that the little boy was standing in front of him. "My little brother Neah hurt his arm and… and I was hoping that you could help sir."

Dr. Baker stared at the obviously terrified little boy for a moment before turning his attention back to the older of the two brothers. He knew the family, having attended to the mother before her death, and there was one question that he felt the need to ask. Because it seemed important. "Where is your father?"

A small gasp issued from the younger boy, who pressed against his brother and began to mutter, "Can't tell him, can't tell him, can't tell him…"

"Neah," Mana called out to his brother, noticing that the child had began to rock back and forth ever so slightly. He turned pleading eyes to the doctor, willing the man to understand without forcing him to explain the situation. "If it's about money, I can pay you." The brown haired youth stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a couple of wadded up bills. He hadn't even thought about the possibility that the doctor would want to speak to his father and was now terrified... both for himself and mainly for his little brother. "Please…"

Dr. Baker's gaze shifted from the pleading eyes of the older one to the frightened eyes of the younger and it was in this moment that he noticed something. Marring the otherwise unblemished skin of the little boy's face was an angry red mark. In the very distinctive shape of a rather large hand print. The situation began to make more sense and the doctor gestured for the two boys to step inside. "Come inside."

"Thank you sir." Still clutching the tiny hand of his trembling little brother Mana stepped inside the man's house. Neah had no choice but to follow but the child did not look happy about the arrangement.

Dr. Baker followed along behind the two children, closing the front door before leading them down a short hallway. The corridor led into a sitting room that served as the waiting room for the small clinic. "Have a seat," he directed the boys.

Mana obediently lifted his little brother into one of the chairs before sitting down beside him.

The doctor stared at the two boys who were sitting before him, one eyebrow arched. "What happened?"

"I fell," Neah whispered, his gaze downcast. The boy kept his eyes focused squarely on the floor, since Mana always told him that he couldn't lie because of his eyes. His brother said they gave him away. And he needed for the man to believe that what he was saying was the truth of the matter. It was a familiar lie that he had been taught to explain away his various injuries.

Dr. Baker didn't look even remotely convinced by the boy's obvious lie. He gazed at the child for a moment, running his hand through his hair. Then he made his decision. He shifted his gaze to Mana. "Bring him and come with me."

Mana nodded, hopping to his feet. "Come on Neah," he said to his little brother as he lifted the child from the chair. Grasping the little hand Mana followed the doctor through a door and into a sort of exam room.

Once the two boys were inside Dr. Baker lifted Neah and placed him on a cot that was pushed up against the far wall. The child tensed as the stranger picked him up but Mana offered him an encouraging smile, which he attempted to return.

Walking across the room Mana came to stand beside the cot where his brother was sitting. Reaching out he once again took Neah' tiny hand in his own, giving it a comforting squeeze. "It's gonna be okay Neah," Mana said, his voice soothing. He could tell that Neah was still terrified and he wanted to do what he could to ease those fears.

Even though he was fairly convinced that, in order to fix the child's arm, the doctor was going to have to cause him more pain.

This assumption was verified as Dr. Baker walked over to a small cabinet that was located in one corner of the room. The man stood with his back to the two boys for a few moments and, when he turned around, he held a syringe in one hand. Mana winced, pretty sure that this wasn't going to end well. Luckily enough Neah was avoiding eye contact with the stranger, his gaze focused squarely on the floor, so he hadn't noticed just what was going on.

Which was a small blessing as far as the older boy was concerned.

"Alright," Dr. Baker said as he made his way back over to his patient. He directed his words at the older boy, grateful that the younger was resolutely ignoring him. He didn't want Neah to know what was going on until it was already too late for him to put up much of a fight. "I'm fairly certain that his shoulder is dislocated but I need to examine it to make sure. And it's going to be painful so I'm going to go ahead and give him something before I begin."

Mana nodded.

"What I need for you to do is hold his right arm still," Dr. Baker said, stepping toward the young child. "And make sure that he doesn't pull away."

"Yes sir." Hopping up onto the cot beside his brother Mana pulled Neah into his arms before the child had the chance to register what was going on. Being careful not to hurt the boy's left arm, Mana placed one restraining arm across his brother's chest. Using his free hand he got a firm hold on Neah's right arm.

"Mana…" Glancing back at his brother Neah looked somewhat betrayed. Then a panicked expression appeared in his gray orbs the moment he caught sight of the syringe that Dr. Baker held in his hand.

Mana immediately felt guilty but didn't loosen his hold on his brother. "Shh, it's okay Neah. The doctor's just going to give you something to make your arm hurt less."

The child still looked terrified but he didn't fight the hold that his brother had on his arm.

"Alright Neah," Dr. Baker said, his voice kind as he stepped over to the boys. Reaching out he carefully rolled up Neah' right sleeve and then held up the syringe. "This should help with the pain… just a little pinch and then it'll all be over."

Neah whimpered, his gaze shifting between the doctor and the syringe that he was holding.

"Shh," Mana soothed, making sure to keep his grip on his brother's arm tight enough so that Neah couldn't pull away. He didn't want to risk the child pulling his arm away when Dr. Baker went to give him the injection and causing himself further injury. "Just a little poke Neah… it won't be so bad."

Mana couldn't help but think the brief sting of the injection paled in comparison to the horrors that Neah had already endured. But of course he didn't say anything about it, not wanting to remind his brother of the day's earlier incident. As well as not wanting the doctor to find out the horrible fact that the child's own father was the cause of his injuries.

Confident that Mana had everything under control Dr. Baker gave the child the injection. Then he rubbed the spot, working the drug into the muscle so that it would absorb quicker. "Good boy," the doctor said, offering Neah a smile as he placed the syringe on a small table that was positioned next to the cot.

"See Neah?" Mana said, relaxing his hold on his brother's arm and running a hand through his mahogany hair. "That wasn't so bad was it?"

Neah shook his head, allowing his big brother to continue to hold him. The comfort was more important now than avoiding the pain that the contact caused.

Glad that Neah seemed to trust his big brother without question Dr. Baker watched the child, practically counting down the time that it would take the drug to take affect. Mana cuddled the smaller boy, continuing to hold Neah in his lap, and before long the effects of the drug began to show. The little boy's body went limp as his muscles relaxed and Mana actually had to prevent the child from tumbling to the floor.

"Whoa there Neah," Mana said, glad that he'd kept his arm looped around his brother's small waist. Otherwise that could have been bad. Turning slightly to the side Mana smiled as he saw that Neah's eyes were half closed and he looked as though he were on the verge of sleep. "Guess the drugs kicked in huh kiddo?"

There was no reply from the child; not that one was really necessary.

"Alright," Dr. Baker said, removing his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his white shirt. Stepping over to the cot where the two boys were sitting he briefly examined Neah's left arm, confirming what he had already suspected.

It was definitely dislocated.

The doctor turned his attention to Mana, a grim expression on his face. "I'm going to need your help for this but you aren't going to like it."

Mana's arms tightened around his brother in a protective gesture. He didn't like how this conversation was starting out. "What are you going to do to him?"

"The only way to fix his arm is to pop it back into socket," Dr. Baker said in a solemn voice, having known that the older brother would question him. "And it will cause him some pain, even though his senses are dulled due to the morphine."

"Alright." Mana wasn't happy about the fact that Neah was going to have to endure yet more pain but at the same time he had already known that would be the case. And if it was the only way to repair the damage that their father had caused then it was inevitable. With a sigh he asked, "What do you need for me to do?"

"I need for you to hold onto your brother tightly," Dr. Baker said, reaching out and grasping the child's left arm. "It takes a fair amount of force to do this."

Mana nodded his head, to show that he understood, and tightened his grasp around Neah's waist. He pulled the smaller boy securely against his body and braced himself for what was about to happen.

Taking a deep breath and willing this procedure to work on the first try, Dr. Baker began manipulating the boy's arm in an attempt to pop it back into place. The child whimpered in pain, although he didn't really put up any kind of fight. The drugs that he had been given were doing their part to keep him relaxed and calm.

Despite the pain.

"I'm sorry Neah," Mana whispered in his brother's ear, maintaining his hold on the child. "But you're doing really good and it's almost over." At this point, he turned pleading brown eyes to the doctor, hoping that he hadn't just lied to his little brother.

At that moment the doctor felt the bone pop back into it's socket. Neah gasped in pain but was unable to move due to his brother's hold on him. "That's it," Dr. Baker announced. "It's all over."

"Thank goodness," Mana said, loosening the hold on the child and once again running a hand through his mahogany hair. "You did such a good job Neah; I'm proud of you."

Walking over to the small cabinet the doctor once again rummaged around inside of it. After a few moments he returned to the spot where the siblings were sitting, a piece of folded white cloth held in his hand. He quickly fashioned a sling for Neah's left arm, tying the fabric and positioning the child's arm so that the pain would be diminished. "It'll more than likely be sore for at least a few days," the doctor lectured, directing his words at Mana. "And he shouldn't move it around too much for the next couple of weeks. It's more likely to pop out of socket now that it's done so once which means that you need to keep an eye out for that as well."

Mana nodded his head in understand. "Right." Reaching back into his pocket Mana offered the crumpled bills to the doctor. "If this isn't enough then I'll work and earn more sir, I promise."

The doctor took the money from the boy and nodded his head. "This should cover it," he said, his voice kind as he walked back over to the cabinet. He returned to Mana's side a few minutes later and offered the boy a couple of paper packets. "Take these and mix one in a glass of water if he complains of pain okay?"

"Thank you sir," Mana said, taking the packets and placing them in his pocket. Shifting Neah so that the boy was lying on the cot and not in his lap, Mana got to his feet. He offered the doctor his hand. "Thank you so much for helping him."

Dr. Baker accepted the hand that Mana was holding out to him, shaking the boy's hand. "Is there anything that you'd like to tell me about how exactly he was injured?"

Mana could tell that the doctor was suspicious but he was afraid to say anything. "I wasn't home when it happened sir… I was at school. So all I know is what Neah told me."

"I see," the man said, still looking unconvinced.

"Is it alright if I take him home now?" Mana asked, gesturing toward his sleeping little brother.

The doctor nodded. "Just make sure that you check on him periodically until the drugs wear off."

'Yes sir." Mana carefully picked up his undersized little brother and left the doctor's office. "I really hope that Father's still asleep," he muttered to himself as he made his way home. The trip didn't take nearly long enough, as far as the brown haired youth was concerned, and in no time he arrived at the house that he shared with his alcoholic father and abused little brother. The boy could remember a time when it had been a home but now it was merely a roof over their heads.

Reaching out Mana carefully opened the door, making every effort to be quiet. It was all for nothing however for as soon as entered the house he heard, "MANA!"

A/N - 'feels absolutely horrible for writing this story' Here's the first chapter of an origin fic for the 14th. Needless to say it has to be AU and wild speculations abound. Credit for helping to inspire this story goes to Swift-Star9 and her wonderful story 'Whom Gods Destroy'. You should definitely check that one out. Special thanks to my beta-reader BlackCross1808 for all the help that she gave me with this first chapter as well as story planning. You're awesome! Just want you to know that.


	2. Failure

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Two - Failure

Mana cringed as he heard the voice of his father calling out his name. It was obvious by the man's voice, even though he'd only said one word, that he was still intoxicated. And angry. A fact that made Mana fear both for himself and mainly for his brother. Still under the affects of the drugs that he had been given Neah wasn't even conscious so there was no way that the child could protect himself should their father decide to turn violent. Not that he was big enough to protect himself even under the best circumstances; the best that the child could hope to do was shield his head from the vicious blows.

The sound of his father, a man who used to be gentle and kind, caused a queasiness in Mana's stomach that the boy did his absolute best to ignore. Pushing his nerves to the side Mana walked through the foyer, running into his father at the base of the stairs that led up to the house's second floor. "Hello Father," Mana said in a calm and even tone of voice, successfully hiding the slight fear that he was feeling.

Although it was difficult.

Not that he was scared for himself; it was fear for his brother that was turning his stomach and making him feel decidedly ill. Their father had never raised a hand to his oldest son, perhaps because Mana resembled him whereas Neah looked like their mother. Like the wife that he had lost.

That was the only reason Mana could find for why their father treated the two of them so differently. They were both his sons after all.

The man's gaze briefly shifted to the limp child that Mana was holding in his arms before coming to rest on the face of his elder son. "What have you been doing boy?" he questioned, his words slurring slightly due to the alcohol.

"Just taking care of Neah's arm," Mana said in the same even tone, making sure that he kept the accusatory edge out of his voice. The man was far less likely to give him a hard time if he made it sound as though he believed that Neah had caused his own injuries so that was the plan of action that he went with. He even managed to feign a note of frustration in his voice, as though the cihld's constant injuries were annoying him.. "I don't know why the boy keeps falling down so much."

The intoxicated man stared into the eyes of his son for a moment, as though willing him to slip up and say something incriminating. Mana held his gaze level, used to this staring contest with his father. And, unlike his little brother, his eyes didn't give away his emotions. He had learned to hide them long ago, in order to avoid his father's wrath. After a few minutes the man turned and stumbled away, leaving Mana standing in the foyer with his little brother held in his arms.

"Wasn't expecting that," Mana muttered to himself as he slowly made his way upstairs. That had almost seemed too easy but of course Mana would never dream of complaining about the fact that his father had opted not to question him further. Instead he concentrated on simply making it up the stairs. It was difficult, owing to the boy that he was holding in his arms but Mana managed none the less. Making his way down the long hallway the boy pushed open the door of the smallest and most out of the way bedroom in the house. The room was sparsely furnished, with just a small bed and end table, upon which a gas lamp was positioned.

Walking over to the bed Mana carefully placed his brother on top of the covers. Leaning forward he pulled off Neah' shoes before pulling the blankets up to cover his brother's small body. He wanted to make the child as comfortable as possible even though he knew that Neah was likely numb due to the drugs that the doctor had given him. That was the only way that he could sleep so soundly after everything that he had endured that day.

At the hands of someone who should have cherished him.

Tears welled up in Mana's brown eyes as he gazed down at the unconscious child but he willed himself not to cry. After all it wasn't as though his tears would make the situation any better for Neah. Things were what they were and there wasn't much that could be done to change them. Where the red mark had been earlier a bruise now decorated the delicate skin of Neah's face. And yet despite all of this the child had a peaceful look but of course his older brother knew that this was due more to the drugs that he had been given than anything else.

"I'm sorry Neah," Mana whispered, sinking to the ground and grasping his brother's tiny hand. At this point he wasn't entirely sure if this gesture was meant to comfort his baby brother or himself; perhaps it was even a little bit of both. Not that it really mattered much in the long run. "I promised that I would protect you but I couldn't do it… when you needed me I wasn't here for you."

As he knelt at Neah's bedside Mana's thoughts shifted back to the day that the little boy had been born. The house had been busy, with people coming and going throughout the day, but no one had been excited about the new arrival. His mother hadn't reached her due date yet and was battling a serious illness when she went into labor.

"That was the day that everything changed."

FLASHBACK

_A small child, appearing to be around the age of six with brown hair and eyes that were a perfect match to it, sat alone on a sofa in the sitting room. The house was filled with adults, many of whom he didn't know, and the little boy had been ordered here so that he wouldn't be in the way. His small hands were held clasped in his lap and the little boy was staring resolutely at them. He didn't fully understand what was going on but he knew from the tones in the adults' voices that it was serious. And despite his young age the child was worried._

"_Mana…"_

_The little boy's gaze went to the woman who was speaking to him. Jet black hair fell to her waist, black bangs framing kind green eyes. The child stared at the woman, glad for a familiar face in a house that seemed to be filled with strangers. He had known this woman for as long as he could remember and she had always been very kind to him. His mother's best friend._

"_What is it Miss Melina?" the little boy asked, his voice quiet. With his mother so ill the boy had been taught to keep his voice low, which often made his words difficult to hear._

"_You're a big brother now little man," Melina said in a voice that was equally as quiet, her tone kind even though her eyes held a look of sympathy. A look that Mana didn't understand._

"_Mama had the baby?" the six year old questioned, slightly confused by this unexpected news._

"_She did," Melina said, her voice remaining kind despite containing a note of sadness. She knew that the child would be introduced to this sadness all too soon and was seeking to shield him from it as long as possible. Reaching out she offered the little boy her hand. "Come with me Mana. Your mother wants to see you."_

_The child slowly slid to the floor and walked across the room to the spot where his mother's friend was standing. Reaching out the child grasped the hand that the woman was offering him, grasping her fingers and feeling comforted by the touch. With the child trailing along behind her Melina made her way back up to the room where her best friend had just given birth._

_And now lay dying._

_Opening the door a tiny bit Melina stuck her head inside. "Alicia.. I brought a visitor. Is it alright if we come in?" she questioned, her voice just a whisper. She must have received confirmation from the people inside the room because she opened the door wider and led Mana inside._

_His mother lay in her large bed, propped up by several large pillows. Her face was ashen but she held a soft smile on her face and a blanket wrapped bundle in her arms. Gazing over at the door she caught sight of her eldest son hesitantly enter the room and she held one hand out to him. She both wanted and needed to have both of her children beside her. "Come here Mana… come and meet your baby brother."_

_The small child hesitated, large brown eyes focused on his mother._

"_Come on," his mother encouraged, mustering the strength to offer him a smile. Her voice was gentle and her eyes held encouragement as she gazed at her eldest son. She understood his fear but she wanted him to know that everything was going to be alright. She wanted both to reassure him as well as introduce him to his new sibling. "He won't bite."_

_Mana slowly walked across the room, coming to stand by the large bed. Melina, who was following along behind him, gently picked him up and carefully placed him on the bed beside his mother. Snuggling close, the child offered his mother a smile before glancing down at the bundle she was holding. A tiny baby was wrapped in the blankets, his face framed by the blue fabric. He had a tuft of brown hair on the top of his head and seemed to be sleeping peacefully._

"_This is Neah," Alicia said in a weak and exceedingly quiet voice, her gaze shifting back and forth between her two sons. "Mana…"_

"_What?" the little boy questioned, gazing up at his mother._

"_Promise me that you'll look out for your little brother," Alicia said, her voice growing weaker with every word that she spoke._

_The child was slightly confused but he nodded his head none the less. He loved his mother with all of his heart and would do anything that she asked of him. "I promise Mama… I'll protect Neah."_

"_Neah…" Alicia repeated, gazing down at the tiny infant that she held in her arms. "Your brother will look after you and protect you."_

_Mana offered his mother a smile before he slowly reached out and carefully grasped the tiny hand that the infant had worked free from the blanket. Allowing the baby to grasp his index finger Mana whispered, "I promise Neah… I won't let anyone hurt you."_

_Smiling at her elder son Alicia held the little bundle out to him. "Here Mana, would you like to hold him?" And, without really giving him the chance to refuse, Alicia placed her newborn in Mana's arms. For reasons that were known only to her the young mother wanted her two sons to have an immediate bond. A smile spread across her face as she watched a protective light begin to shine in her elder son's eyes as he gazed down at his baby brother._

"_Mana will look out for you Neah…" Alicia whispered as she gazed at her two sons. Her strength was fading fast and she knew instinctively that she wasn't long for the world. "Everything's going to be okay. You're both going to be okay."_

END FLASHBACK

"She died late that night," Mana whispered, his tear filled eyes still focused on the face of his brother. He spoke aloud even though he knew that his brother couldn't hear him. A fact that he was actually grateful for. He'd never told Neah anything about the day that he was born and had no plans to. That knowledge wasn't something that the child needed to carry with him through life. "And Father was never the same."

The young boy paused at this point, giving the small hand that he held a comforting squeeze.

"I'm so sorry Neah," Mana whispered, once again feeling a suffocating weight in his chest. It felt as though something were pressing down on his chest, making it difficult to breathe. At this point a choking sob escaped the boy's lips and Mana allowed himself to cry, needing to rid himself of some of the sorrow that was threatening to overwhelm him. And with his brother unconscious it seemed like the perfect time to vent his grief. "None of this would have happened if only I were stronger… it's all my fault."

"Not… your fault…"

Mana gasped at the sound of the weak and yet still familiar voice. He hadn't expected for the child to regain consciousness so soon and was slightly embarrassed by the tears that he had shed. After all he was supposed to be the strong one. Reaching up he furiously wiped at his eyes with his sleeve before raising his gaze to meet the large gray eyes that were staring at him. He was surprised to see Neah conscious although the boy still appeared drowsy, no doubt due to the medication that he had been given by the doctor.

A blush rose to color the boy's face but he decided that it would be better if he just pretended that he hadn't been caught crying by his baby brother. He took another brief moment to compose himself, clearing his throat before speaking.

"How are you feeling Neah?" Mana questioned, a concerned expression in his brown eyes. He was worried that his little brother would be in a large amount of pain now that the drugs were beginning to wear off.

"I'm okay," Neah replied in his soft edged voice, pulling his hand from Mana's grasp and using his good arm to push himself into a sitting position. The child grimaced as his bruised and battered body protested the movement but made an attempt to hide his discomfort from his brother. He didn't want to cause Mana any more problems than he already had and so sought to hide his pain from him. However there was something that he wanted to ask. The child gazed at Mana for a moment, seeming hesitant about something.

Of course Mana picked up on this. Just as he'd picked up on the fact that Neah had grimaced when he'd pushed himself to a sitting position even though he didn't say anything about it. He had always been perceptive and was highly attuned to anything concerning his little brother. "What is it Neah? Is there something that you'd like?"

The child was still hesitant, despite the kind tone of Mana's voice. He didn't want to be a bother to his big brother but his throat was really dry and beginning to hurt. "Um… can I… can I please have a drink of water?"

Mana jumped to his feet immediately. "Of course you can Neah. I'll be right back." This said the brown haired youth turned and left the room.

Neah kept his eyes focused on the retreating back of his brother until he could no longer see him. Despite the fact that he had requested a glass of water the child was scared to be left alone even long enough for his brother to retrieve it. Mana's presence had always been a source of comfort to him and the little boy was desperate for that right now. His arm hurt, not to mention his various other injuries from the beating that he had received earlier, and Neah wanted nothing more than to feel his brother's comforting arms around him.

The child leaned forward slightly, so that his ravaged back wouldn't touch the headboard, and pulled his knees up to his chest. His gray eyes were wide and he gazed around the room as though expecting for someone to come bursting into the room at any given moment. The sound of footsteps echoed downstairs and Neah began to tremble, fearing that his father was going to come upstairs and hurt him again.

"Please no," he whimpered softly, rocking back and forth ever so slightly.

The little boy didn't know who he was pleading to but he had still muttered the words. Mana had taught him to pray to God when things became too difficult but Neah didn't do that anymore. When he was younger he had clung to the hope that God would save him from the horrors of his life but no matter how much he prayed and begged still nothing happened. And that fact had killed the boy's belief in a kind and loving God. If there truly was a god up there in heaven, which he now highly doubted, then he didn't care what happened down here on earth.

Preoccupied by these thoughts Neah didn't hear the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall, coming in the direction of his room. This fact didn't become obvious until he heard the sound of the door being opened from the outside, creaking slightly and announcing the fact that Neah was no longer alone. The child squeaked in fright as the door of his tiny bedroom opened but breathed an audible sigh of relief when he saw a familiar mop of brown hair.

"It's alright Neah," Mana said in a quiet voice as he closed the door behind himself and made his way back across the room. He had heard the boy's little squeak of alarm and knew what it meant. "It's just me."

"Mana…" the little boy whimpered, tears forming in his gray eyes as all the pent up emotions hit him all at once.

Mana heard the note of anguish contained within the child's voice and the heartwrenching sound caused tears to once again prick at his own eyes. Rushing forward Mana placed the glass of water on the nightstand before sitting down on the bed and pulling his little brother into his arms. Neah buried his face in the fabric of Mana's shirt and sobbed, desperate to be free of the pain that he felt. His tiny hand, the one that he could currently use, gripped at the fabric of his brother's shirt as though it represented his lifeline.

"Shh," Mana soothed, placing his hand on the back of Neah' head and rubbing the mahogany curls. Desperately wishing that there was something more he could do to ease the suffering of the innocent child that he held in his arms Mana began rocking back and forth slowly. "It's going to be okay Neah… I'm not sure exactly how yet but we'll make it."

Neah listened to the soothing words that his brother whispered to him, wanting so badly to believe that they were true. With his head pressed against his brother's chest the little boy could hear Mana's heartbeat and that was comforting to him. His right hand was still wrapped in the fabric of his brother's shirt and he refused to relax his grip.

It was as though he were afraid that he would lose the comfort of his brother if he were to release his grip.

"Here Neah," Mana said, reaching over to the nightstand and picking up the glass of water that he'd brought his brother.

Leaning forward in his brother's lap Neah took the glass of water that Mana held out to him. Placing the glass to his lips the child drank gratefully, hoping to alleviate the burning in his throat, but stopped short as he noticed that the water had a strange taste about it. The little boy made a face as he moved the glass away from his mouth.

"I know it isn't great Neah," Mana said in an understanding voice, gently guiding the child's hand back toward his mouth. He had fully expected for his little brother to refuse to drink the water that he had laced with the powder given to him by the doctor. However he was determined to make sure that Neah drank it none the less. Because he couldn't completely hide the fact that he was in pain. "But I need for you to drink it for me okay buddy?"

Neah looked for a moment as though he'd like nothing better than to argue about it but decided against it in the end. Raising the glass back to his mouth the little boy quickly drained the contents, making a face and smacking his lips in an attempt to get rid of the taste.

"Yuck," the little boy said, gazing at Mana with a slightly petulant expression on his face.

"I know," Mana said, taking the empty glass from the child and placing it back on the table. It had been necessary but he knew that Neah wouldn't see it that way. "I'm horrible for making you drink that but it'll make you feel better."

Neah looked less than convinced by these words but was willing to forgive his brother none the less. After all Mana was the only thing standing between him and absolute misery. With this thought planted firmly in his mind Neah placed his head back against his big brother's chest. "Not horr'ble," the boy murmured, his voice barely audible due to the fact that he had his face pressed against Mana's chest. The fabric of the older boy's shirt muffled the younger boy's words. "Nice."

"I'm glad that you think so kiddo," Mana whispered, the tears once again stinging his eyes. "But unfortunately I know the truth. I really am a horrible person."

Mana once again placed his hand on the back of his brother's head, running his fingers through the silky curls. He had inherited both his hair color and it's slight curl from their mother and, even though he was reminded of her whenever he looked at his brother, he couldn't help but wish that Neah hadn't taken after her quite so much.

Because maybe then their father would have been able to look at the child without becoming violent.

Mana continued to hold his little brother until the child drifted back off to sleep, humming a soft tune to the child in the hopes of offering what small amount of comfort he could. He listened as Neah' breathing evened out, signaling sleep, seeking to offer the child whatever comfort he could. Because he still felt extremely guilty over the fact that he'd promised to protect his kid brother and yet found himself unable to keep that promise.

"Someday I'll find a way to make this right Neah," Mana said as he once again tucked his little brother into bed. Reaching out he brushed the boy's hair out of his face, his fingertips trailing down the boy's face and lingering on the bruise that marred the delicate skin. A trace of anger flashed through the boy but no trace of it was present when he spoke again. His voice remained quiet but it was also resolute. "That's my new promise to you."

A/N - End of chapter two. Hope that you enjoyed and thanks to everyone who reviewed the first chapter. Please leave a review for this chapter and let me know your thoughts.


	3. Like a Ghost

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM nor any of the characters.

Warning: More scenes of child abuse in this chapter, more graphic this time. Guess I'll go ahead and warn you now that this is going to be an on-going theme in this story so keep that in mind.

Chapter Three - Like a Ghost

The sun had barely risen, casting a vague light throughout the house, when Mana quietly opened the door of Neah's room. He always checked on his baby brother before leaving for school and he was more concerned than usual about the child since he was injured. His eyes sought out Neah and he saw that the little boy was thrashing around in his sleep, moaning softly. Deducing that Neah was having another one of his nightmares the elder brother quickly crossed the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. Reaching out Mana gently touched the younger boy's shoulder, causing Neah's eyes to pop open instantly. A little gasp of horror escaped the boy's lips before the child realized that it was only his brother.

His gray eyes held a look of terror before Neah made this realization and this fact caused Mana to feel guilty.

"I'm sorry Neah," Mana said, reaching out so that he could run his hand through his brother's mahogany hair. He should have expected such a reaction from the child and made an attempt to wake him using his voice but to be honest the thought had never even occured to him. His only thought had been to reach the little boy and awaken him from the nightmare that was obviously traumatizing him as soon as possible. The consequences of his chosen method had never even crossed his mind. "I didn't mean to frighten you. How are you feeling this morning?"

"Okay," Neah replied in a soft voice, pushing himself to a sitting position with his good arm. The child's left arm remained in a sling, still somewhat stiff and difficult to move but he was accustomed to injuries and didn't really pay any attention to it. Pain was pretty much a constant in his life; not exactly something that the child was happy about but never the less something that he viewed as par for the course.

"Do you need some medicine for the pain?" Mana questioned, recalling that he still had a couple of the packets that the doctor had given to him after treating Neah.

The little boy immediately shook his head, making a face at the mere mention of the medicine. It was quite bitter tasting and the child didn't like it the least little bit. And definitely didn't think it was worth the momentary dull in pain. "No me'cine…"

The child's reaction was so comical that Mana couldn't help but grin, although he covered his smile with his hand so as not to upset his brother. Neah had never appreciated being laughed at after all and Mana didn't want to further upset the child by being blatantly obvious about his amusement. Of course being a perceptive child Neah picked up on the fact that Mana found what he had said amusing. The little boy scowled at his brother and said, "Not funny Mana."

"I'm sorry Neah," Mana apologize although he chuckled softly even as the boy glared at him. There was just something innately funny about such a young child with such a disapproving expression and the older boy found that he couldn't help but laugh softly. Even though he tried his best not to, since he fully realized that Neah wouldn't be happy about it.

A slight pout formed on the child's face. "No yer not."

Forcing a serious and hopefully appropriately apologetic expression on his voice Mana said, "I really am sorry Neah. I didn't mean to laugh at you…"

"Yes you did," Neah said before Mana could get any further with his apology. He wasn't convinced that his brother hadn't meant to laugh at him and wasn't going to be convinced otherwise.

"You know," Mana said, shaking his head as he walked over to the closet and pulled out some clothes. He needed to get his younger brother dressed for the day before leaving for school, since Neah still needed a little help. And would most likely need more help than usual what with the fact that he could only use one of his arms at the moment. "You're just a little bit stubborn Neah."

"Am not," Neah piped up, without missing a beat.

This response served to prove his point but Mana chose not to say anything about it lest he have to further argue with his four year old brother. Chuckling under his breath Mana collected the clothing and then returned to the spot where the younger boy was sitting. Neah was still dressed in the clothes that he had been wearing the day before, since Mana hadn't wanted to move his injured arm and risk causing him further pain. The clothes were now incredibly wrinkled and showed obvious signs of the fact that the child had slept in them. "Alright kiddo, have it your way. Now come on, it's time to get dressed."

It took some maneuvering, and much longer than it normally did, but Mana eventually had his little brother dressed in the fresh set of clothing. Then, once this task was complete, he secured the sling around the boy's neck and carefully placed his left arm inside. He had done his best not to cause Neah any pain but despite his care there had been a couple of times when the child had whimpered.

Which of course made Mana feel guilty yet again. He hated to be the cause of his brother's pain and once the little boy was dressed Mana gazed into his large gray eyes. "I'm sorry Neah… I didn't mean to hurt you."

"S'okay Mana," Neah said in his customary quiet voice. Mana was the one ray of hope in his otherwise dreary life and the child was willing to forgive his brother anything.

"Come along Neah," Mana said, offering the little boy his hand. "I'll make you some breakfast and then I have to go to school."

Tears actually appeared in the boy's eyes as he accepted the hand that his older brother was holding out to him. But Neah turned his head to the side so that Mana wouldn't see the fact that he was on the verge of crying. He didn't want to be left alone in the house with the father who couldn't stand the sight of him but knew that his brother had no choice but to leave him.

He had to attend school after all.

Leading the way from the drab little room that belonged to Neah, Mana led the way downstairs and into the kitchen. Their house had a formal dining room but there was also a small table positioned at one end of the kitchen and it was here that the brothers normally had breakfast together. Lifting his little brother Mana placed Neah in one of the chairs before grabbing an apron that was hanging on a hook by the door.

All signs of sadness disappeared as Neah laughed softly, enjoying the sight of his brother wearing the brightly colored apron.

"Hey!" Mana snapped, pretending to be cross even though he actually enjoyed the sound of the younger boy's laughter. It was a rare treat after all since there was very little in Neah's life to laugh about. "I have to do something to keep my uniform clean y'know."

"I know," Neah said in a slightly trembling voice, his enjoyment short lived as he was reminded that soon he would be without the protection of his brother.

Mana's heart nearly broke as he heard the tremor in the little boy's voice but he forced himself not to act as though he had heard it. Even at his young age Neah was very sensitive about anyone thinking that he was weak and Mana knew that it would only upset him more if he made a big deal about it. So the older boy saved such reactions for when Neah was in pain, mainly because he couldn't ignore it at those times.

It was too much.

"So what would you like to have for breakfast kiddo?" Mana questioned, going over to the pantry and gazing inside. He was relieved to find that their father had at least managed to find the motivation to go to the grocer's so that he had something to feed the child. Of course more often than not this chore fell upon Mana's shoulders.

Just like with most of the household chores and caring for Neah. Mana had to do it all himself because there wasn't anyone else who was going to.

Because his father had all but stopped functioning after the death of his wife. The loss had caused the man a pain that he seemed unable to cope with and heal from.

Which had left Mana to learn to fend for himself as well as to care for his brother. It was a responsibility that he took seriously but was none the less one that a child his age shouldn't have to worry about. In many ways he had been forced to grow up far sooner than other children his age. But of course he had fared better than Neah, who had been denied any kind of childhood by the blame placed upon him by their father.

"Pancakes," the child suggested hopefully.

"I think that can be arranged," Mana said, turning and offering Neah a brief smile before gathering up the necessary ingredients. Thankfully this was one of the things that he was actually good at cooking and in no time the two brothers were sitting at the table, each enjoying a large stack of pancakes.

"Thank you," Neah said in his soft edged voice, the corners of his mouth twitching up into what was almost a smile.

"You're very welcome," Mana said, offering his brother a smile.

The brothers ate in silence and then, once both of them were finished with their meal, Mana got to his feet and quickly gathered up the dishes. Placing them in the sink Mana returned to the table and tousled his brother's mahogany hair. "I'll take care of the dishes when I get home. For now I have to go." With one last, encouraging pat to the child's head Mana turned and left the kitchen, leaving Neah sitting at the table.

Tears filled the boy's gray eyes almost immediately and, placing his right arm on the table, Neah rested his head upon it. It was never easy to watch as his brother left without him but today was especially difficult owing to the incident from the day before. Shivering all the child could do was cry although he made no sound.

He had learned the hard way not to make any unnecessary noises, especially not in the mornings. His father always slept late, most likely due to the almost constant hangover he had from drinking so heavily. Waking him from such a state would cause the man to fly into a rage that made his normal foul mood pale in comparison and Neah had no desire to fall victim to his father twice in as many days.

After a few minutes of silent crying Neah slowly managed to compose himself. Sliding from the chair the small boy quickly wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt, trying to get rid of any signs of the tears. Not that there was anyone around who would care that he had been crying but for some reason the small boy didn't want to be seen in that state.

Not even by his father.

Leaving the kitchen Neah made his way through the house, keeping to the shadows. All he wanted was to return to his room without anything happening. Thankfully it was still too early for his father to be up so the child managed to make it back upstairs without incident.

Opening the door of his bedroom Neah slipped inside, closing the door soundlessly behind him. Once safely inside his inner sanctum the child heaved an audible sigh of relief. His heart was absolutely pounding inside his chest but Neah was thankful that he had managed to make it back upstairs without running into his father. Walking across the room Neah sat down on the bed. The small child didn't know what to do with himself but what he did know was that he didn't want to risk angering his father. Which meant that it was safer to hide in his room despite the fact that there wasn't really anything to do.

* * *

Neah had been determined to remain in his room until Mana returned home from school but the growling of his stomach forced him to rethink this course of action. The child had no idea how many hours had passed since breakfast but what he did know was that he was hungry. And that he was hungry enough to risk a trip downstairs. Taking a deep breath Neah slid from the bed and made his way across the room. Opening the door as quietly as was possible the child glanced out into the hallway, his gaze shifting about in an attempt to make sure that his father was nowhere in sight.

One he was sure that the coast was clear Neah left his room, keeping to the wall in an attempt to hide himself in the shadows. He was desperate not to be seen but the persistent growling of his stomach was urging him onward. Like a ghost the child moved through the house, descending the stairs quickly because there were no shadows behind which to hide. Making every attempt to be utterly silent Neah made his way through the foyer and down the hallway. The sound of footsteps cause the child to press himself against the wall in the wide hallway, knowing that the source of the sound had to be his father.

After all there wasn't anyone else in the large house.

The child's pulse rate quickened as he pressed his back to the wall, ignoring the pain this caused. He wanted nothing more than to fade into the wall and disappear and he had to suppress a moan of despair as he saw his father enter the hall at the far end. The direction that he had been traveling. Neah' body began to tremble at the sight of the man who had filled his short life with suffering and, without thinking, the child took a step back.

He stiffened as he felt himself collide with a small table that was positioned near the end of the hallway. Neah held his breath as the vase that was positioned upon the table wobbled, seeming to hang on the edge a moment before crashing to the floor with a resounding crash.

"What the hell?"

Stifling a cry of horror Neah's gray eyes widened as his gaze shifted between the pile of china on the floor to the glaring man who was standing at the far end of the hallway. He could tell, even from this distance and the dim lighting, that his father was enraged and he took a faltering step back.

"Look what you've done you little brat..." the man snarled, covering the distance between himself and the frightened child in only a few strides. Reaching out he seized the boy by his right arm, pulling at it and causing Neah to cry out in pain.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," the child whispered, tears forming in his gray eyes as he averted his gaze from the furious man. He knew from experience that this quivering apology would do nothing to quell the man's anger and yet the child attempted it none the less.

"Sorry?" the man bellowed, a vein bulging in his forehead as he glared at the child whose arm he was grasping. "Sorry isn't going to pay for that you little bastard."

Neah winced as the man's grip on his arm strengthened, now so tight that the fingers of his right arm were beginning to go numb. The child made one futile attempt to pull his arm free but this brief struggle for freedom was brought to a screeching halt when his father viciously backhanded him. The blow was so fierce that it actually made the child's vision blur and he tasted the metallic coppery taste of blood as his lip was split open. Crying out from the pain Neah' legs buckled, leaving him suspended in the air owing to the grip that his father still had on his arm. He would have fallen were it not for the man's hold; as it was he was left to simly hang there.

"I've had enough of this," his father growled, releasing his grip on the child's arm and allowing Nicholas to fall to the ground. Hitting the floor with an audible 'thud' Neah immediately curled into the fetal position, using his one good arm to protect his head.

Reaching down the man seized his youngest child by the collar of his shirt, using it to lift the boy into the air. Neah gasped as he was lifted into the air by the shirt collar and he struggled to breath. His vision once again blurred and the lack of oxygen caused the little boy to merely hang limply, unable to fight as he was carried down the hallway and into the much feared room.

"Should have left you on the church steps like I thought about," the man muttered as he fiercely pulled the door open and entered a darkened room. This particular room had no windows and there was only one gas lamp alight at the far end of the room. Neah began to shake uncontrollably as his father slammed the door behind them before dropping the child to the floor. "Gonna teach you a lesson that you won't soon forget brat…"

Neah gasped in pain as his small body once again collided violently with the floor and he instinctively curled himself into a tight ball. Forcing his injured left arm to move the little boy wrapped both of his arms around his head, hoping to protect it from further injury.

Because he knew what was coming.

The child could hear the sound of the man striding across the room and knew, without having to look up, what his father was doing. It would only be a matter of seconds before he felt the searing pain of the thick leather strap colliding with his flesh. Tears stung the child's eyes but he bit his bottom lip in an attempt to keep himself from making any sounds. Crying would do nothing to improve his situation and for some reason the child didn't want this man to see his tears. That would be harder to bear than the pain that he knew he was about to endure.

"_I'm stronger than him…"_

All thoughts disappeared as he heard the sound of leather sailing through the air, a second before it struck him across the back. Attempting to curl himself into an even tighter ball Neah gasped as a burning pain spread throughout his body. The little boy hadn't even had the opportunity to recover from the beating that he had endured the day before and this only intensified the pain. Sucking in a sharp breath, Neah once again bit his bottom lip, this time tasting blood as his teeth broke the skin.

"I've had enough," the man snarled, once again fiercely swinging the thick leather strap. It collided with the cowering child's back with a resounding 'thwack', eliciting a gasp of pain from the child. "You're going to learn your lesson one way or another brat."

Neah had no idea what lesson he was supposed to be learning from this but couldn't keep his mind focused on this train of thought for any length of time. Another bone jarring blow struck his back, higher up than the others, and Neah couldn't suppress a small whimper of pain.

Which seemed to further enrage his father.

"Shut the fuck up!" he roared as blow after blow rained down upon the child who was huddled on the ground at his feet. "This is your own damn fault you little bastard!" His voice actually broke at this point, as though he was on the verge of tears himself. "Everything's YOUR FAULT!"

Neah had heard this accusation for as long as he could remember but he still didn't know what was his fault. His father had never told him what he was being blamed for, only that it was his fault. This was always the words that he chose to use in order to justify the beatings that he administered to the child and yet Neah had never understood them. He couldn't remember doing anything but whatever it was must have been horrific for it to lead to such continuous and brutal punishments.

"YOUR FAULT!" the man screamed, intensifying the force behind the blows. Seeking to cause this child at his feet the same measure of pain that he had endured the past four years. As well as seeking to alleviate some of the pain and guilt that he felt over what had happened. "YOUR FAULT! YOUR FAULT!"

The force of the blows finally succeeded in causing the little boy to cry out in pain. It was true that his father was always in a foul mood but this was probably the angriest that Neah had ever seen him. And the sheer force of the blows only served to magnify this fact. Hearing the sobs of the child the man gazed down at Neah for a moment before dealing one final, fierce blow to the child. Slightly out of breath the boy's father just stood there for a moment, listening to the sound of the child's muffled sobs.

"Brat," he snarled.

"_What did I do?" _the child thought to himself as the blows finally came to a halt. This was the one question that he always asked of himself whenever he endured the rage of his father. And yet he had never once received an answer, whether he spoke the question out loud to his brother or merely asked it of the powers that be. No one seemed to know the answer or perhaps they just didn't want to give it to him. Somewhat fearful that the beating would resume Neah remained curled into a ball, keeping his arms folded over his head in a protective manner.

Growling low in his throat the man strode across the room, once again hanging the leather strap in it's customary place. The child listened to the sounds of his father's heavy footfalls, heaving a slightly shaky sigh of relief as he heard the man open the door and leave the room.

Only when he was alone did Neah allow himself to cry freely. Still lying on the floor the boy's small body shook with the force of his sobs. He didn't understand why he was so different from his brother; didn't understand why their father seemed to love Mana and not him.

"Am I really that bad?" he whispered, knowing that there was no one to hear the question. And no one to offer him an answer. But that was the way that it had been his entire life. Many questions that seemed to have no answers.

A/N - End of another chapter and I find myself feeling vastly sorry for Neah…


	4. Dead Eyes

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Four - Dead Eyes

The only sound in the room was the incessant ticking of a clock that was positioned on the mantel above the vacant fireplace. This room, which had once been a study, was seldom used, save for the torture of the small boy, so the fireplace was never lit. The curtains had been drawn so that even in the daylight hours the room was bathed in shadows. Almost as though the man who owned the house had actively sought to shut in the horrors that he inflicted upon his child in this room.

Punishment for a wrong that he had never committed.

Even long after his father had left the dreaded 'room' Neah remained curled into a tight ball on the floor. Too battered and afraid to even voluntarily move so much as a muscle. But this didn't mean that he was completely still because there were some movements that the child had absolutely no control over. His small body shook with the sobs that he could no longer suppress, this motion only adding to the pain that he was already experiencing due to the vicious beating that he had endured. The child's mind was completely blank and his gray eyes stared straight ahead, seemingly unseeing.

They weren't the eyes of a small boy, eyes that should have been filled with happiness. Instead they were the eyes of a tortured soul who had seen far more pain than anyone should have to endure. Eyes that had beheld horrors that no small child should have been subjected to.

* * *

After an excruciatingly long day at school, one that he had feared would never come to an end, Mana was finally making his way back home. He was concerned for his brother, whom he had been forced to leave in the house with the father that begrudged him every breath that he took. It hadn't been the ideal set of circumstances but Mana hadn't been able to come up with an alternative.

"I didn't want to leave him there…" Mana whispered to himself, having spent the day praying that everything would be okay. So long as Neah avoided their father then he would most likely be safe. The man never actively sought out the son whose existence he would have been perfectly content ignoring. It was only when the mahogany haired child happened to cross his path that violence erupted. It still amazed Mana that his father could be a completely sane and rational man one moment and then a sadistic monster the next.

It made absolutely no sense.

"Why can't he see that none of this is Neah's fault? Why doesn't he understand that he's just a sweet little boy?"

Of course these weren't questions that Mana was likely to ever find the answers to so he was forced to just continue to move forward. "That's the only thing that we can do… keep walking and hope that tomorrow will bring about better days."

That was a hope that Mana clung to and a mantra that he often repeated to himself but faith was waning with each day that passed. The light at the end of the tunnel growing dimmer with each new injury that was inflicted upon his helpless and innocence little brother. Each new horror that was visited upon a child who had done nothing. Each time that Mana had to comfort him and lament the fact that he had been able to do absolutely nothing to stop it.

"Where are you God?" he questioned out loud as he continued to make his way down the cobblestone streets. Gazing up he stared at the overcast sky, a sky that was threatening imminent rain. He had taught Neah to pray since the moment that he could talk and yet things were only going from bad to worse. And if something didn't change soon then it seemed quite likely that the child would meet his demise at the hands of his own father.

The man who should have cherished him as the precious miracle that he was.

As Mana walked along, completely lost in thought, he almost ran into a street vendor who was selling apples outside of one of the stores. Snapping back to reality the boy drew up short just as the man yelled, "Watch out kid!"

"I'm sorry," Mana muttered, not having even noticed the man's cart until he had been practically on top of it. But now that he was once again a member of the real world and not the world that existed only in his mind he noticed exactly what the man was selling. Large red apples that made his mouth water just to look at them.

"I bet that Neah would enjoy one of those," the thought to himself, fishing around in his pocket for some coins. He thought about the smile that would appear on his brother's face if he took home this treat. A smile spread across his own face as Mana finally pulled his hand from the pocket of his trousers, several coins held in his hand.

The street vendor's demeanor changed immediately as the boy held up the money. A smile spread across his face, revealing the fact that he was missing several of his front teeth. "How many would you like young master?" he questioned, whistling slightly as he spoke owing to the gaps in his teeth.

Mana picked out four of the largest apples, three for Neah and one for himself, and then handed some of the coins to the man. Taking the money that the child was holding out to him the man handed him a brown paper bag to put the apples in. "Thank you sir."

"No, thank you young master," the man said, his toothy grin widening as he bit the corner of one of the coins. Making certain that it was the genuine article before stowing them in his pocket.

Mana inclined his head ever so slightly to the man before continuing on his way. His mood was somewhat lighter now that he had a treat to take home to his little brother. Hopefully this would help to make up for the fact that he had been forced to leave.

"Hopefully this will bring a smile to his face," Mana thought to himself as he reached the house that he shared with his brother and their father. Reaching out he pulled the front door open, quietly stepping inside the house.

A house that was as still as death its self.

Knowing that it probably wasn't a good idea to call out and announce his return home Mana instead closed the door quietly behind himself. Then, with a small sigh, he set about searching for his little brother. Clutching the bag that contained the apples that he had bought the brown haired boy made his way up the staircase. None of the gas lamps had been lit so the house was bathed in shadows but this wasn't really all that unusual. Due to his drinking habit their father often slept most of the day so Mana was usually the one who lit the lamps.

That is if they were lit at all.

Making his way down the hall to his brother's room Mana knocked lightly, hoping that this would prevent his brother from panicking when he opened the door. After all their father wouldn't knock but would instead simply barge into the room. "It's just me," he called out in a whisper as he opened the door and entered the room.

Only to find it empty.

There wasn't even so much as a trace of Neah anywhere in the room. And it didn't take very long to ascertain this fact since the room was pitifully small and under furnished. Feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach Mana whirled around and left the room, not even bothering to close the door behind himself. He was desperate to find his little brother and hoping against hope that nothing bad had happened to Neah while he was away at school.

"Please… let him be okay…"

Mana repeated this over and over again as he searched the house for Neah. His tone was pleading, even though he wasn't exactly sure whom he was pleading with. After all that he had witnessed his brother enduring Mana wasn't even sure if he still believed in God, despite the fact that his mother had always taught him to believe.

How could God allow an innocent child to suffer when it would be so easy for Him to intervene?

It didn't make any sense to Mana but on the other hand he desperately wanted to believe despite the evidence to the contrary. Because without that belief and a hope that things could get better he had nothing. No way to reassure his brother that the child's life wouldn't always be hell on earth.

There were only a few rooms in the house where Neah would venture on his own and it didn't take Mana very long to search them. The first was the kitchen but that room was empty and then after that he made his way to the parlor.

Which was equally deserted.

After searching the seldom used parlor, which contained a piano that Neah sometimes like to play, Mana could feel the tightness in his stomach growing even stronger. He was running out of places that Neah would willingly go and that only left one room… the one part of the house that the four year old was absolutely terrified of.

The room had once been their father's study, back in the days when he had held down a job as a respectable attorney, but now was seldom even entered. Except when the man felt the need to punish his son for some fabricated wrong. Feeling decidedly nauseous Mana slowly and cautiously made his way to that room. He knew that his father would be furious if he caught him in that room, since it was off limits, but the boy was desperate to find his brother.

And this was the only place left that he knew to look.

Reaching out with a trembling hand he grasped the doorknob. Taking a few minutes to build up his nerve and steel his resolve, Mana finally pulled the door open. The room was bathed in shadows and it took a few moments for Mana's eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. But when they finally did he was met with a sight that made his blood run cold. The bag of apples that he had been carrying tumbled to the floor, spilling from the bag and rolling across the hardwood. Coming to rest completely forgotten a few feet away.

"Oh my god…"

Neah's small form was lying in the center of the room, completely still and unmoving. Mana couldn't even tell if the child was breathing and he rushed forward, dropping to his knees at his brother's side. "Neah," he called out urgently, having to fight to keep his voice quiet.

Because if their father were to enter the room at this moment then there would be hell to pay.

There was no response from the small form lying curled up in the fetal position so Mana placed his hand on the little boy's shoulder. Tears stung his eyes as he continued to stare down at the little boy, who appeared even smaller since he was curled into such a tight ball. "Neah… Neah please answer…"

Still no response from Neah but with his hand placed on the child's shoulder Mana could feel the fact that he was still breathing. This brought him a small measure of relief but the sick feeling in his stomach refused to go away. It was obvious that his brother had once again had a run in with their father and Mana felt the guilt rise up to consume him. This wouldn't have happened if he had just skipped school to stay at home with his brother.

"Stupid," he berated himself as he pulled Neah' still form into his arms. He did his best not to aggravate the little boy's injuries but Neah didn't even so much as flinch. Which only served to further increase Mana's anxiety over the situation. "How could I have been so unimaginably stupid? I'm so sorry Neah."

Once he had his brother cradled gently in his arms Mana carefully got to his feet. Cursing their father under his breath the boy left the study and quietly made his way back upstairs to Neah' room. Now thankful that he had left the door open Mana entered the room, placing the child that he carried on the bed before going back over to close the door. Making it a point to be as quiet as possible Mana closed the door and then made his way back over to the bed where Neah was lying. Sinking to his knees at the child's bedside Mana was horrified to find that Neah's gray eyes, normally so expressive and intelligent looking, were open and staring blankly ahead, seemingly vacant and unseeing. Eyes that were devoid of all feeling and emotion.

Dead eyes.

"I'm so sorry Neah," Mana apologized once again, his voice breaking as he reached out and grasped the child's small hand into his own. Giving it a comforting squeeze he attempted to bring his brother back to him… back from whatever internal world he seemed to have locked himself in. "Please come back to me little brother…"

Mana wasn't sure if Neah could survive this latest in a long series of traumas… perhaps his mind had simply shut down. It certainly appeared that way judging by the vacant look in his eyes.

Had their father finally broken him?

"Neah…"

Mana could feel a deep and seething hatred for their father rise inside him. Where before he could always at least partially rationalize the man's behavior now he could only see it for what it was. Completely inexcusable.

Gazing back down at his little brother Mana whispered, in a voice that didn't sound like his own, "I promise you Neah… someday he's going to pay for what he's done to you. It may not be today or tomorrow but it's going to happen."

But not even this vow, nor the slightly harsh tone of his brother's voice, was enough to snap Neah out of the trance that he seemed to be in.

With a sigh Mana leaned his back against the bed frame, his hand held over his shoulder so that he could maintain his grip on Neah' hand. He wanted to maintain contact with his brother, hoping that it would offer comfort to the both of them.

Because there was nothing else that he could do in order to gain that feeling.

"I wish you were here Mother," he whispered, his voice breaking and tears streaming down his face. Things would have been so different for them if only his mother had lived.

* * *

Several hours passed, during which Mana dozed off. It wasn't intentional but the exhaustion and stress of the day finally got to him and the boy succumbed. His dreams were plagued with violent images and he twitched ever so often, seeking to escape the images that were assaulting his mind.

Blinking his eyes, which were burning fiercely, Neah noticed that his hand was being held by someone. Tensing slightly, more out of habit than anything else, the child shifted his gaze and saw that Mana was seated on the floor at his bedside. Noticing that his older brother seemed to be caught in the throes of a nightmare Neah gave the hand that he held a gentle squeeze. It was a small motion but more than enough to rouse Mana from his sleep… as though he had been waiting for the gentle pressure on his hand.

"Neah," he said, turning around so that he was facing his little brother. Neah remained in a prone position on his stomach, seemingly lacking the strength to rise, but he offered Mana a small smile.

"Hi Mana," the boy said in his customary soft edged voice. There was a hint of pain in his tone but it was obvious that Neah was trying to hide this fact from his brother.

"I'm really sorry about what happened," Mana said, his gaze downcast as he spoke these words. As though he were afraid to look at his brother, afraid of what he might see in Neah' gray eyes.

"Not your fault," Neah said, his voice containing a stern note that seemed oddly out of place for such a young child. Reaching out he placed the tips of his fingers on his older brother's chin, forcing Mana to look at him before adding for good measure, "Not your fault."

Mana smiled at the four year old, grateful that the little boy seemed so willing to forgive him for not being there. But the look in Neah' eyes was still lacking the sparkle that it had always contained even despite the abuse.

His gray orbs were dull and listless, making it appear as though their father truly had destroyed something inside him.

Neah wasn't the same person that he had been even that morning. And Mana could only hope that there was some way to reverse the damage that had been done.

"I hate what he's done to you Neah," Mana thought to himself, not even daring to utter the words out loud. For fear of the effect that they could possibly have on the mahogany haired child. "But I promise you that I WILL find a way to make it right again. Even if it's the last thing that I do on this earth."

"What'cha thinkin' bout?" Neah questioned, having noticed that his brother had developed a thoughtful expression. And there seemed to be a malevolent light shining in his normally kind brown eyes.

"It's nothing really," Mana said, reaching out and absently tousling Neah' hair affectionately. He wanted to ask what had happened but at the same time didn't want to force his brother to relive the horror that seemed to have caused him such tremendous mental anguish.

So he kept his questions to himself.

"Yer a lousy liar," Neah deadpanned, not even remotely fooled by the answer that Mana had given him.

Gazing at Neah, Mana pretended to be offended by the comment. "Well that wasn't a very nice thing to say to your big brother Neah Walker," he said indignantly.

"Oh well," Neah quipped, the ghost of a roguish grin briefly appearing on his face.

"Oh well?" Mana repeated, arching one brow as he gazed at the child. "Is that all you have to say, oh well?"

Neah nodded, giggling slightly before he moved the wrong way. A searing pain shot through his entire body, causing the boy to wince. Not missing this fact Mana quickly got to his feet. "I'm going to get you something for the pain Neah… I'll be right back."

Not wanting his brother to leave him Neah refused to release his grip on Mana's hand. "Don' go," he whimpered.

"But Neah…"

"I jus' want you here," the child murmured, gazing up at Mana with a pleading look in his gray eyes.

A look that Mana couldn't have ignored even if he wanted to. Sinking down Mana seated himself on the edge of the bed, gently pulling Neah' upper body into his arms. "If you want me to stay that much then I won't leave you for even a second," he promised, running a hand through his brother's hair.

"Thank you," Neah murmured, closing his eyes and feeling secure in the knowledge that his big brother was watching over him.

A/N - Well here's another one and now Mana feels extremely guilty over what happened. And has vowed to do something about it. Hope that you enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	5. Defeated

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Five - Defeated

For awhile Mana simply held his little brother in his arms, watching over the child as he slept. Hoping as he did so that the child was having pleasant dreams… something that would help to alleviate the horrors that the boy faced on a daily basis, if only for a little while. Neah was uncharacteristically still, his faint breathing the only thing signaling the fact that he was still among the living. Mana wasn't accustomed to this, since the younger boy had been plagued with nightmares nearly his entire life. Even as a very small infant Neah had thrashed around in his sleep more often than not. Gazing down through slightly concerned brown eyes Mana resolved to keep an eye on his little brother even more closely than he already had been. Because after the look that he had seen in Neah's gray orbs he was concerned for the little boy's mental health. It had seemed as though their father had finally broken something inside the four year old… his eyes had resembled those of a dead person; glazed over and completely unseeing.

"I'm so sorry Neah," Mana whispered, his voice barely audible lest he disturb the little boy that he was speaking to. After all it wasn't as though the words would make what had happened to Neah any better; they were only meaningless words.

At this point Neah let out a soft whimpering noise, twitching slightly although he didn't open his eyes. Shifting in his brother's arms the little boy would have fallen into the floor had Mana not tightened the grip that he had on the child. However this proved to be the wrong move because the moment his arm tightened around Neah's waist the child began fighting to get away from him.

Still without opening his eyes or giving any indication that he was awake.

"Neah," Mana called out, his voice gentle as he made an attempt to awaken the child. He didn't want to disturb his nap but it was apparent that the peacefulness of it had been shattered by something. And now it was almost as though Neah were trying to escape something that haunted him even in his dreams. "Shh Neah, it's alright."

This reassurance was answered only by a slightly louder whimper from the child, who was still making an effort to escape the hold that his brother had on him. Pushing at Mana's arms with his tiny hands Nicholas attempted to pry himself free.

Shifting the sleeping form that he held in his arms Mana maneuvered the boy so that he was lying on the bed instead of in his lap. Surprisingly, the moment that Neah was free from his brother's grip, the child scooted as far away as he could get, positioning himself in the corner of the bed. The mahogany haired child curled into a ball, his entire body trembling. Chewing on his bottom lip Mana crawled over to the spot where his brother was cowering, reaching a slightly shaky hand toward him. After the reaction that his arm around Neah's waist had caused he was almost afraid to touch the boy. But he knew that he would have to do it anyway because it would just be cruel to allow him to remain locked in the throes of what was obviously a fairly bad nightmare.

So, after taking a deep breath, Mana reached out and carefully placed his hand on Neah's shoulder. As expected the little boy jumped and made an attempt to pull away but there was nowhere to go. He was already pressed against the wall and the only path of escape was through Mana. Gripping his little brother's shoulder gently Mana called out to the child. "Neah… wake up, little brother. None of it's real and it can't hurt you."

It took a few minutes, during which Mana continued to murmur reassuring words to the boy, but Neah finally opened his eyes. Large gray orbs shifted around for a moment before his surroundings registered in his mind and he visibly relaxed.

"Hey kiddo," Mana said in a gentle voice, his hand still on the boy's shoulder. There was a concerned expression in his brown eyes as he gazed at Neah, who still seemed a little off. Normally the child would at least offer him a half smile but that didn't seem to be the case this time. His face remained completely impassive. "What were you dreaming about?"

A shadow passed across the boy's eyes for the briefest of instances before Neah shook his head. As though that would banish the images that had been tormenting him. "N-nothing."

Mana could tell, by the faint tremor in his voice, that Neah wasn't telling him the truth. Of course previous experience had taught the older boy that it would do him no good to press the issue… once Neah got something in his mind it was all but impossible to change it. And for whatever reason his little brother had decided that he wasn't going to tell him what the dream had been about. "_Well nothing's going to change his mind," _Mana thought to himself, his eyes still locked onto the face of his brother. As though he were seeking to determine something from the child's facial features. _"So there's no point in pushing it. He'll tell me when he's ready, if he's ever ready."_

These thoughts were interrupted as Mana felt a small hand touch the side of his face. Blinking his eyes a couple of times he saw that Neah had crawled closer to him and was now kneeling on the bed with one little hand placed against his cheek. "You okay Mana?"

There was such concern in Neah's voice that it made Mana's heart ache. After everything that he had endured he was actually asking his brother if he was okay. "I'm fine Neah… why do you ask?"

"You look sad," Neah observed, sitting on his knees and staring at his brother intently.

Reaching forward Mana pulled his brother into a gentle embrace, making absolutely certain as he did so not to aggravate the injuries that Neah had received at the hands of their father. "You don't have to worry about me Neah… there's absolutely nothing wrong with me."

Strictly speaking this wasn't the truth. There was a burden in Mana's heart that he couldn't seem to escape, an ache that couldn't be eased, but this wasn't something that Neah needed to know about. The child would only blame himself for this and it was by no means his fault. No, the fault lay entirely with their father… or at least the man who no longer had the right to call himself by that title. Anyone who would willingly cause injury to their own child was no kind of parent and Mana refused to acknowledge him as such.

He could not, and would not, attempt to make further excuses for the man's behavior. It was completely inexcusable and Mana now fully realized this fact.

Offering Neah a smile Mana asked, "Are you hungry Neah?"

Moving his hand away from his brother's face, Neah shook his head. His gray eyes shifted down to the hands that he was now held clasped in his lap, as though he was unable to maintain eye contact with his brother. The brother that he had always adored.

Mana was genuinely surprised by this response, it being the last one that he had expected. Perhaps the child had managed to get something to eat while he'd been away at school, though this seemed unlikely since he was normally too scared to even venture downstairs when he was alone. "Have you eaten already today?"

"Not hungry," Neah said, his voice quiet as he made it obvious that he wasn't going to directly answer the question. This seemed kind of odd since the boy didn't have a habit of avoiding questions, quite the opposite actually. Neah had always been painfully honest when it came to his replies.

"I can't believe that my little bottomless pit doesn't want food," Mana taunted playfully, attempting to put his brother into a better mood.

It normally worked but not this time. This time Neah refused to take the bait. Keeping his eyes focused squarely on his hands the little boy merely shrugged his shoulders, his face remaining stoic and emotionless.

Reaching out Mana placed the tips of his fingers underneath Neah's chin, raising the boy's face so that he could look into his eyes. And the sight that met his searching gaze was one that made his heart drop as a decidedly nauseous feeling overwhelmed him. They were completely devoid of the mischievous spark that they normally held when their father wasn't around.

The boy looked completely and utterly defeated.

Not willing to just let the matter go at that Mana slid from the bed and got to his feet. "Wait right here Neah, I'll be back in just a few minutes." This said the brown haired boy turned and made his way across the room, pulling the door open and slipping out into the hallway.

Neah watched as the door closed silently behind his brother, his face still devoid of emotion. The child couldn't even bring himself to fear the arrival of his father, thinking that one more encounter with the man might just bring an end to his suffering.

Because it was apparent that nothing else was going to. God seemed content to sit around in His Heaven and completely ignore what was going on.

Moving his legs so that he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, Neah awaited the return of his brother. His eyes were dull and listless as he gazed around the room, not really focusing on anything. The child was pretty much just looking around so that he didn't have to continue staring at his hands. Not that there was really anything better to look at in his room, sparsely furnished as it was.

"_I should have just dumped you on the Church steps like I thought about…"_

His father's words echoed in his mind and Neah found himself wondering why exactly, since the man seemed to hate him so much, he had chosen to keep him. It didn't really make any sense unless the man was so depraved that he merely wanted the kid around so that he could torment him. Which, given what Neah knew of the man, seemed like a distinct possibility. Whenever their paths crossed it seemed that the ruthless man found some excuse, no matter how insignificant, to beat the child.

"I don' even know what I did," Neah thought to himself, his hands clasped together and his gaze once again moving downward as this thought ran through his mind. His father was constantly telling him that everything was his fault but Neah had yet to figure out what he had done.

Other than being born.

* * *

Having left his little brother alone Mana silently stole downstairs and back into the room where he had found Neah huddled on the floor. As he opened the door the boy noted that the room appeared just as it had when he and Neah had left it. The bag was still lying on the floor, the apples scattered about where they had fallen.

"Good," Mana thought to himself as he quickly gathered up the fallen apples, shoving them back into the bag. He worked quickly, knowing that if his father discovered him here then there would be hell to pay. "Doesn't look like he's been in here since…" Mana was unable to finish that thought and the boy felt his anger rising once again. Clutching the bag of apples tightly in one hand he turned to leave the office. Walking quietly he made his way across the room, poking his head out the door and gazing around.

Finding the coast clear for the moment Mana quickly left the room, closing the door and putting as much distance between it and himself as he could. At the same time making it a point not to make any unnecessary noises. It was likely that his father was passed out somewhere and Mana didn't want to wake him… that would only serve to increase his anger.

And that was something that he did not need. The man was angry enough as it was though most of his anger was reserved for Neah.

"_It's not always going to be like this Neah," _Mana thought as he made his way toward the staircase, gazing around ever so often just in case his father decided to show himself. His hands were clenched tightly, the bag rustling slightly due to the grip that he had on it. But of course the boy didn't pay any attention to it.

His thoughts were focused squarely elsewhere.

Taking the stairs two at a time it wasn't long before Mana arrived back at his little brother's room. Reaching out he knocked lightly before pushing the door open and once again stepping inside. Neah was in much the same position as when he had left, the only difference being that now the child was sitting cross-legged instead of in a kneeling position. "I'm back Neah," he called out needlessly, walking across the room toward the bed where his brother was sitting.

Neah glanced up, the same defeated look in his eyes. He couldn't even bring himself to be glad that his brother was back… or even go through the motion of pretending that he was.

Mana was slightly hurt that Neah didn't offer him a smile upon his return but considering everything that the child had been through in the past two days he conceded that it wasn't really that strange. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, a short distance from his brother, the brown haired boy held up the bag that he had retrieved, offering him a smile. "Look Neah, I bought us a treat."

The smaller boy's gaze shifted toward the bag for the briefest of moments before returning to his hands. His expression didn't even change and he appeared disinterested in the contents of the bag.

Which only served to increase Mana's concern. Normally Neah would be bursting with curiosity and begging to know what he had brought. But now it appeared as though he could care less. Or, more likely, that he had suffered so much that nothing could bring the light back to his eyes. But that knowledge didn't make Mana any less determined to try. Holding the bag in his lap the boy brushed a stray lock of brown hair away from his eyes before opening the bag and reaching a hand inside. Grasping the apple that was on the top of the pile he pulled it from the bag and held it in front of his brother's face, a smile still resolutely on his own. "Look Neah, you want it?"

The younger Walker sibling had always been fond of apples, a rare treat, but he didn't even make a move to take the one that Mana was holding out to him. His gaze briefly moved to the offered treat before returning to his hands yet again.

"C'mon Neah," Mana coaxed, moving closer to the smaller boy. The treat was still held in his outstretched hand and he silently prayed that his brother would suddenly decide to take it. "I know that you like apples so why don't you take it?"

Neah shook his head. "I don' want it."

Mana's face fell but he didn't press the matter further. Heaving a sigh he put the apple back in the bag before placing it on the end table that was located beside his brother's bed. Then he turned kind brown eyes back to Neah. "Is there anything that you'd like to talk about Neah?"

Neah seemed to debate the question for a moment before he gazed up at his brother. Mana had expected for the tortured look to return to his brother's eyes, at least a sign that he was returning to normal, but there was nothing. "It's my fault."

This short confession, delivered in a matter of fact tone, shocked Mana to his core. He knew that their father had often told Neah that everything was his fault but he'd never expected to hear his brother say such a thing. And he could tell, by the tone of his voice, that the child meant it wholeheartedly.

Reaching around he wrapped his arm around Neah, pulling the child close and holding him in a comforting embrace. "Don't you ever say that again Neah," Mana said, his voice containing an uncharacteristically stern quality as he gazed down at his baby brother. The look in his brown eyes was stern as well and left no doubt that he was displeased by what he had heard. "I don't want to ever hear you say that again. Nothing that happened is your fault and don't let that bastard tell you any different."

Somewhat taken aback by the stern note in Mana's voice Neah gazed up at his brother, his gray eyes slightly wider than normal.

This wasn't exactly the emotion that Mana had been trying to elicit from the boy but with a sigh he decided that he would take what he could get. Changing the tone of his voice, no longer having a need for the shock value, Mana continued with his impromptu lecture. "He's just an angry old man who's taking everything out on you… he needs someone to blame but that doesn't make it right. Do you understand me Neah?"

The boy remained silent for a few moments, as though debating his brother's words, before he nodded his head ever so slightly. A barely perceptible acknowledgement of the fact that he had heard the words spoken to him. "I understand Mana," he whispered, his voice barely audible.

"Good," Mana said, placing his chin on the top of Neah' mahogany hair. He kept his arm around the kid, hoping that maybe it would serve to offer him some comfort. "You're golden m'boy and don't ever let anyone tell you different."

Neah didn't look convinced by his brother's words but seemed to know enough not to argue the point. He didn't want Mana to use that stern tone with him twice in one day… he hadn't heard it before but knew already that he didn't like it.

A/N - End of chapter five and poor little Neah's been pushed nearly to the edge of endurance. What will happen from here? You'll have to stay tuned to find out. Please be kind enough to leave a review on your way out.


	6. Passage of Time

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Six - Passage of Time

"Class dismissed…"

The moment that the teacher gave his permission for the students to leave the classroom thirteen year old Mana Walker grabbed his books and made haste to the front exit. This day had been long and excruciatingly boring, which made the brown haired youth beyond happy that it was finally over. He had been edgy all day but was hoping that his new found freedom would help alleviate these feelings. Stepping out into the courtyard ahead of most of the other students Mana shifted his brown eyed gaze toward the front gate, holding up his hand to shield his eyes from the sun. This was the spot where he and his younger brother Neah always met after school. But, as of yet, there wasn't any sign of the seven year old, so Mana positioned himself beside the gate to wait for the child to make an appearance.

His gaze surveyed the group of children as they jostled past, looking for any sign of Neah's unique head of mahogany hair. Normally his brother was one of the first to leave the school, since he hated to be caught up in a crowd of any kind, but that didn't seem to be the case on this particular day. He was running behind schedule and Mana found himself wondering what exactly could have happened to hold the boy up. "Where on earth is he?" Mana muttered out loud as he scanned the crowd of children intently. The pair of them had made the journey to school together that morning so he had no explanation as to why there was currently no sign of his brother now that it was time for them to go home. Placing the tip of his index finger to his bottom lip in thought Mana mused, "Maybe he's just trying to avoid going home…"

Under normal circumstances Mana would think that was definitely the case, since Neah would rather be absolutely anywhere other than their house. Not that this was all that surprising given the little boy's circumstances. The large house where they lived appeared nice on the outside, to the uninitiated observer, but it was a place of unbridled horror for the seven year old so he would do absolutely anything within his power to prolong his time away from it. But the man who had fathered the two of them had gone on a trip for a couple of days so the child had gotten somewhat of a reprieve.

A reprieve which he desperately needed.

Things had been bad for the boy when he was small but as Neah had grown older his resemblance to their deceased mother hadn't faded, nor had the hatred that their father harbored toward the boy. In fact, if anything, the man had grown more violent toward his younger son the older that Neah grew. Mana was aware of this fact but since he was never around when the man became violent there was no way for him to intercede on the younger boy's behalf. He would have been more than willing to do so, wouldn't have given it so much as a second of thought, but Neah had taken to hiding his injuries and acting as though nothing were happening. Despite the fact that Mana could read him like an open book, owing to the fact that his expressive gray eyes betrayed his emotions. And yet Neah kept up the act. Rather than seek the help of his brother the child opted instead to repress everything that happened to him, pushing those emotions and memories to the deep recesses of his mind and acting as though all was right with the world.

Of course Mana knew better.

Mana had hoped that things would get better for his brother once Neah started school and was able to be out of the house more often but that hadn't been the case either. Quiet and slightly introverted Neah didn't fit in with the other boys his age, which caused them to pick on him. It had started out simple enough, much the same thing that Mana himself had endured when he was younger, but taunts and jeers had eventually given way to more physical bullying. And since he was small for his age and had been abused for years Neah just accepted it as par for the course. A fact that caused Mana's heart to ache for him all the more.

The kid just couldn't seem to catch a break.

By this point the steady flow of students had ebbed to a trickle and still there was no sign of Neah. The teen was trying his best not to allow fear to consume him but he couldn't' help but worry about his brother, since Neah had never failed to show up at their meeting place. "Guess I'll look around here a bit more and if I don't find him then I'll go home and see if he's there," Mana muttered to himself, his brown eyes once again surveying the by now thinning crowd.

Despite his best efforts not to he was beginning to grow concerned.

* * *

"I can't believe that I actually did that…"

As he made his way across town seven year old Neah Walker gazed around through wary gray eyes, making it a point to keep himself at arm's distance from everyone that he happened to pass on the street. And trying his best not to allow anyone to get behind him, even going so far as to press his back against a nearby building when they got too close. He was always nervous around people, especially people that he didn't know, and he didn't want to take the chance of someone hurting him. He already dealt with that enough at home and at school so he didn't need it from random people that he happened to pass on the street. An involuntarily shiver went down his spine as Neah thought of the horror that was his life. However his face remained emotionless; something that he had trained himself to do over the years. Mainly because he was determined to hide the true extent of the horror of his existence from Mana. His brother was the only thing keeping him sane in a world determined to see him driven over the edge but he got such a worried expression in his eyes whenever he learned of Neah's suffering. Which was the main reason why the boy had decided to keep it to himself.

His brother had enough stress without Neah adding to the burden.

Of course the mahogany haired young male hadn't thought about this when he'd ran out in the middle of class or else he might have had second thoughts about it. It was just that the boy behind him had been relentlessly whispering taunts that only Neah could hear and the boy had finally had enough. Jumping to his feet, and completely ignoring the warnings from his teacher, Neah had fled from class.

Which was why he was now wandering across town.

Neah had been determined that he wasn't going back to class so he'd left the school grounds entirely. And now he was thinking that his only alternative to being at school was to go home since wandering aimlessly down the street seemed like a decidedly bad idea to the little boy.

"Mana's prob'ly gonna be mad," the child absently thought to himself, a forlorn expression appearing in his stormy gray eyes as his thoughts shifted to his older brother. His plans were to keep Mana from worrying about him but his little departure from school was likely going to cause the very thing that he was always trying so hard to prevent. "Too late now," Neah thought with a sigh and a slight shrug of his thin shoulders.

What was done was done and there was no way to undo it at this point. The wheels of Fate had been set into motion.

* * *

"Mana…"

Mana glanced up as he heard the sound of this somewhat stern voice calling out his name. His questioning gaze fell upon Neah's teacher and the teen was immediately concerned. Had something happened to his little brother? Was that the reason why Neah hadn't came out to meet him like every other day? "What is it sir? Is something wrong? Did something happen to Neah?"

A scowl immediately appeared on the man's already stern looking face as he came to a stop in front of the spot where Mana was standing. Gazing down at the teen he placed his hands on his hips. "Your brother decided to run out in the middle of my class, which I don't appreciate by the way." At this point the man reached into the pocket of his suit coat, removing a folded piece of paper which he held out to Mana. "Give this to your father."

Not a request, it was an order.

Mana felt his blood run cold as he heard these words, spoken in such a callous tone by the man. Numbly reaching out he took the piece of paper that the teacher held out, his hand trembling slightly as he clutched the paper tightly in one fist. He didn't read the paper but none the less had a more than vague idea of what it said. And it boded ill for his little brother, of that he was certain. There was absolutely no way that he could give the note to his father; the man would go absolutely ballistic and Neah would pay dearly for his actions. A much higher price than any child should ever have to pay. "Why did you do it Neah boy?" he thought to himself as he watched the teacher stalk away. "What were you thinking?"

Deciding that it was pointless to hang around the school grounds, since it seemed wholly likely that Neah was long gone by this point, Mana turned and walked past the gate.

The brown haired teen knew that he was going to have to come up with a plan for dealing with Neah' unscheduled departure from school without involving their father but honestly there were more important things on his mind at this given point in time. His main focus at the moment was finding his little brother and discovering exactly why he'd felt the need to run off in the first place. Because there had to be a reason behind it.

Neah wasn't one who did anything without good cause.

"What's going on with you Neah boy?" Mana thought to himself as he began walking in the direction of their house. He was hopeful that he would be able to find his little brother without a tremendous amount of effort and then the two of them could discuss what had happened… as well as a way to keep their father from finding out about it. Glancing down he once again eyed the folded piece of paper that he still held clutched in his hand, hoping that Neah' teacher didn't want to meet with their father or anything like that.

Because if that was the case then there would be hell to pay and no way to avoid it.

* * *

Neah slowed his pace as he neared the house, a strange sense of foreboding descending upon him as he gazed at the two story structure. It was normal for him to feel dread upon arriving at the house that he had never considered a home but the churning emotions that he was currently experiencing were unlike anything that he had ever felt before. And not really something that he could explain, at least not in a rational manner. It felt like some inner sixth sense was telling him to turn around and walk the other way.

"Weird," the boy muttered to himself as he rummaged around in his messenger bag for the key to the front door. He knew that it was in there somewhere, since Mana had given it to him just a couple of days prior. It took him a couple of minutes but he finally managed to fish it out, walking up and inserting the key into the lock. Only to find that the front door wasn't locked. The seven year old arched a brow at this, fairly certain that Mana had locked the door when they had left that morning. Shaking his head and thinking that he must have been wrong about that fact Neah placed the key back into his bag before reaching out and grasping the door knob. The front door made a very distinctive creaking noise as Neah pulled it open but he paid it no attention as he stepped inside the house.

Only to freeze in his tracks as his gaze fell upon a figure standing in the foyer.

"Neah…"

The boy's blood ran cold as he heard the sound of his name leaving the man's lips. To his knowledge this was the first time that the man who had fathered him had ever used his actual given name and it only increased the sense of foreboding that the child had already been experiencing. There was something decidedly wrong about this situation and every instinct that Neah possessed was telling him to run but for some strange reason he seemed rooted to the spot. His body completely refused to listen to his brain's commands to make a run for it.

The man turned toward his son, a strangely calm expression on his face. His features didn't have the normal look of rage about them and as he took a couple of steps toward the child he actually offered the little boy a smile.

Which only caused Neah to back away in fear.

He had grown accustomed to the look of hatred that always appeared in the man's eyes whenever he looked at the son that he had never wanted and that he could deal with. Neah had even learned how to cope with the seemingly never ending abuse, managing to banish his consciousness to the dark recesses of his mind so that he could detach himself from what was going on. All of this had become routine and he could deal with it but this new serene look that his father had served to throw the boy off guard.

What was going on?

"Come here Neah," the man beckoned, holding out one hand to the boy, the strange smile still on his face. There was no sharp tone to his voice and his words sounded almost like an invitation instead of an order.

Neah hesitated but, after a couple of minutes of thought, slowly made his way over to the spot where his father was standing. It was obvious by his demeanor that he was still wary of the man but the child realized that he didn't have a choice in the matter. Despite his reservations he had been taught from an early age that disobedience and defiance only made things worse so, regardless of the man's intentions, Neah walked over to him.

Resigned to his fate.

"Take off your jacket," the man said, his voice calm and his eyes seeming to contain a strange light. There was no odor of alcohol on his breath, yet another thing that was decidedly odd about this encounter. The man was ALWAYS drunk so what exactly had changed to cause him to actually allow himself to sober up?

Unbuttoning the jacket of his school uniform Neah slowly removed it, wondering as he did so what exactly was going on. The man was being almost nice but instead of putting the child at ease this only served to put him on high alert. Something was about to happen and he could only wait to find out exactly what that something was. Discarding the jacket on the floor Neah gazed up at his father through questioning gray eyes, seeking an answer to a burning question. "Um Father…" the child asked in a timid voice. "Are you alright?"

"I've finally seen the light my son," the man said, his voice calm as he reached out and took his youngest child by the arm. Gently holding the boy by the left wrist the man unbuttoned Neah's shirt sleeve, rolling it up to his bicep… right before he pulled a knife from behind his back. Neah's gray eyes widened in horror as he saw the glint of the light reflecting off the blade of the knife and he tried desperately to pull himself free of his father's grasp.

All to no avail.

No matter how fiercely he tried to pull away his father's grasp proved just to strong for him to overcome. The man's grip tightened on his wrist a second before Neah felt a burning pain in his arm, starting just below his elbow. Still wearing a strange smile on his face the man took the blade of the knife and slit his son's arm from his elbow all the way down to his wrist. Slicing the delicate skin of the child's arm as though he were filleting a fish. Crimson blood flowed from the wound, dripping to the wooden floor with sickening regularity.

Neah whimpered as a burning pain seemed to consume his arm, once again making an attempt to pull himself free. "Shh," the man said, his voice quiet and his grip remaining firm. There was no way that he was going to allow the child to pull free at this point. "It's all going to be over soon." This said the deranged individual unbuttoned the cuff of the child's right sleeve, seemingly intent upon inflicting a similar wound on Neah's other arm as well.

An action that was interrupted by a shout from the front door.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Glancing over the man watched as his elder son strode across the foyer, a look of absolute rage causing his normally kind brown eyes to shine malevolently. This expression caused the teen to look almost demonic and the man released his grasp on his younger son as he turned to face the older boy, allowing Neah to slump to the floor. Weak from blood loss the child was unable to support his own weight at this point and merely fell to the floor, landing in the pool of blood that had already accumulated there.

Slightly glazed over gray eyes gazed at the form of his brother, whom he could recognize despite the fact that his vision was beginning to blur. He wanted to get up and go to Mana but was simply too weak to do so… all he could do was lay in the floor and watch all that went on.

"You unimaginable bastard," Mana snarled as he walked across the room.

Making a detour to the fire place that was positioned along one wall Mana grabbed a rod iron poker that was leaning against the wall, holding it aloft as he strode toward his father. The teen's eyes continued to gleam malevolently as he stared at his father. He didn't even need to ask the man what he had been planning as it was obvious by the grievous wound on Neah's arm, as well as the pool of blood that now stained the wooden floor. It appeared as though the man had finally snapped, seeking to put an end to his own pain by ending the life of the child that he had always loathed. Narrowing his eyes and tightening his grip on the poker Mana came to a stop mere feet from the spot where his father was standing.

Appearing less than concerned by his son's threatening stance the man actually laughed at the teen. "What are you going to do with…"

This almost taunting question was cut short as Mana swung the poker with all of the force that he could muster, listening to the sickening crack that accompanied iron meeting flesh and bone. It was akin to music to his ears. The man immediately crumpled to the floor, coming to rest mere feet from the spot where his child was lying in a pool of his own blood. It was obvious that he wasn't going to be able to put up any kind of fight, owing to the massive head injury that he had received at the hands of his eldest son, but that didn't decrease any of the rage that Mana was feeling. Raising the poker he once again brought it down full force, this time aiming it at the man's side. The sound of ribs breaking echoed in the room but, far from deterring Mana, it only seemed to add fuel to the proverbial fire. Several more blows rained down upon the motionless man, each of which sent droplets of blood into the air. A fine mist of crimson seemed to hover there for a moment before falling to the ground. The teen could feel the blood spattering his face but not even this caused him to cease in his relentless attack. For years he had stood by helpless as this man had terrorized his little brother but this newest attack, one meant to be lethal, was the last straw.

It was all going to end today.

By the time that Mana's rage was finally beginning to dissipate the form of their father had been reduced to a barely recognizable lump of flesh on the floor. Breathing hard due to his exertions Mana dropped the poker to the floor, where it came to rest beside the lifeless body of his father. There wasn't even a trace of remorse in his eyes as he gazed down at the man for a brief moment before shifting his attention to the still form of his little brother.

"Neah…" he whimpered as he dropped to the floor at the little boy's side. He could feel the blood soaking through the knees of his trousers but that didn't matter. His clothes were spattered with the blood of his father and this co-mingled with that of the child as he gently pulled his brother into his arms. "I'm so sorry…" he whispered as he cradled the Neah's upper body in his arms, gently rocking him back and forth mournfully.

The little boy whimpered in response.

Mana gasped, having been certain that the little brother that he cherished was dead. Gazing down at the child that he held in his arms he could now see the slight rise and fall of his chest that affirmed that he was breathing. Hugging him close for the briefest of moments Mana then placed Neah back on the floor, in a prone position so that he could remove his jacket. He quickly wrapped the garment around his brother's arm before once again pulling Neah into his arms. Not even thinking about the fact that he was covered in blood, or that he had just murdered his father, Mana got to his feet and made his way to the front door.

Neah had already lost a great deal of blood and needed help immediately. This didn't leave Mana any time to think of himself or anything that he had done.

Not that he would have felt remorse even if he'd had time to dwell on it.

"Hold on Neah," the teen whispered to the child that he held cradled to his chest. For once he found himself feeling grateful for the fact that Neah was so much smaller than normal children his age because if that hadn't been the case then it would have been much more difficult for him to carry his little brother. "I'm going to find you some help and you're going to be just fine."

Grabbing a cloak from the coat rack as he passed Mana wrapped it around both himself and his brother before leaving their house. His destination was only a couple of doors down and he didn't want anyone to stop him before he had the chance to make it to the doctor's office. The teen was resigned to accepting whatever consequences there were for what he had done but only after he had made completely sure that Neah was alright. He had promised his brother long ago that he would find a way to make things right but honestly this wasn't what he'd had in mind at the time.

And yet he couldn't honestly say that he wouldn't do the exact same thing over again. He felt no remorse for what he had done, a fact that scared him to a small degree. Surely it wasn't normal for someone to be able to kill a man, especially not one's own flesh and blood, without feeling anything. And yet Mana could honestly say that he didn't care about what he had done to the man who had fathered him.

Upon leaving his house Mana quickly made his way down the block to the office of Dr. Baker. The man had treated Neah on several occasions, always being discreet despite the fact that Mana was sure he knew the actual origins of the child's injuries, and it was his help that the teen was seeking now. He needed to know that Neah would be well taken care of before he faced the consequences for what he had done. And he could think of no one else that he would trust with the health and safety of the child that he would die for.

The brother that he had killed for.

Reaching the door the brown haired teen knocked insistently on the door a couple of times before stepping back to wait. There was an anxious expression on his face as he stared at the door, willing the man to hurry. He wasn't sure how much longer Neah would be able to hold out and would be devastated if he lost the child now. "Come on," he muttered, knocking again when the first round didn't illicit the desired effect.

Still no response.

"No," Mana moaned, forced to accept the fact that the doctor wasn't in. "No, no, no, no, no…" Turning around the teen quickly rushed back to his own house, completely ignoring the few people that he passed on the street. This was far from an ideal situation but Mana knew that he had to do something for Neah before the child succumbed to blood loss. Carrying the mahogany haired little boy upstairs, into his own room instead of the child's, Mana placed Neah on his own bed. Completely disregarding the fact that the blood from his brother's still bleeding arm was going to ruin the bedclothes. Rushing from the room Mana quickly tracked down a first aid kit that there mother had prepared years ago. He had used bandages from it a couple of times but had never had cause for the needle and twine that was also in the box.

That is, until now.

Once he had the box of medical supplies stowed under his arm Mana collected a bowl of water and a clean washcloth before returning to his bedroom. The sight of Neah lying on the bed, so pale and lifeless looking, caused his heart to jump up into his throat. He knew that it was a real possibility that his brother wasn't going to make it but the teen was determined to do everything in his power to help Neah. He had promised his mother that he would look out for the boy and he absolutely refused to fail in that duty again.

Sitting the bowl of water on the nightstand Mana sat down on the edge of the bed and gently unwrapped his brother's arm. His jacket was dyed crimson with the boy's blood but Mana tossed it aside without a second glance. Dipping the washcloth in the water he gently dabbed at the wound, cleaning if before he took up the needle and thread. This was something that he had never attempted, though he had mended clothes a time or two. The principle was basically the same although Mana was aware that stitching flesh would be vastly different than mending clothes. However it wasn't as though he had a choice in the matter and, after taking a deep breath, he pulled the ends of the wound together and began stitching it closed.

The work was painstakingly slow but Mana finally managed to close the wound. Tying the end of the thread the brown haired teen then set about wrapping his brother's arm in clean bandages, hoping that his efforts would be enough to save the child.

"Please Neah," he murmured as he worked, gazing down at the child through a haze of tears. Securing the bandage in place Mana wiped his hands on a washcloth before reaching out a hand and tentatively running it through his brother's soft mahogany hair. "You have to be okay… please."

A/N - End of another chapter and their bastard of a father finally got what he deserved. And not at the hands of his favorite victim. Slightly sadistic sounding but I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.


	7. Waiting and Watching

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Seven - Waiting and Watching

As the hours passed there was no visible change in Neah's condition; the child continued to lie motionless on the bed, his breathing so light that if you weren't looking for it then it almost appeared as though the little boy had ceased to breathe. In fact it had grown so difficult to see the slight rise and fall of Neah's chest that Mana had taken to placing his hand on his little brother's chest so that he could feel the slight motion. Needing to constantly reaffirm to himself that his cherished little brother was still alive.

Because he was scared.

Things weren't looking good for the little brother that Mana cherished more than his own life; the child that he had killed for. After having endured so much hardship in a relatively short matter of time it almost appeared as though Neah had lost the will to fight and was simply waiting to die.

A thought that caused tears to appear in Mana's eyes as he gazed down at the motionless form of the child.

"Come on Neah boy," he whispered, removing his hand from the child's chest so that he could run it through his soft hair. There was just the slightest trace of a whimper in the teen's voice as he spoke softly to his little brother. Something that normally would have embarrassed him but that he didn't even think about in this moment. "Please wake up… You have to be okay. It's safe now Neah… you don't have to be afraid anymore so please just wake up. I promise he can't hurt you anymore."

Neah gave no sign that he had heard the words whispered to him by his older brother, his pale features remaining completely motionless. Reaching out Mana brushed a rogue strand of hair from his brother's face before getting to his feet, checking one last time to make sure that his brother was breathing before turning toward the door that led from his room. "I'll be back in a little bit Neah, I promise… there's something I have to take care of."

Of course the thing that Mana was referring to was the disposal of the corpse that was still lying in the foyer of the house. The lifeless and completely unrecognizable form of his father. The teen knew that no one would see it, owing to the heavy curtains that hung in front of all of the windows in the house, but it was only a matter of time before the house would be filled with a foul odor from the decaying remains. And, since he needed to maintain the secret while he was caring for his brother, Mana knew that he would have to do something about it.

Thinking about what he had to do actually made Mana feel decidedly sick to his stomach, almost to the point where he thought he might vomit. He'd gazed upon the corpse of his father right after the murder… as well as when he had returned to the house with a bleeding Neah held clutched in his arms. Neither of those times had affected him, his emotions still significantly raw over what had been done to his innocent little brother.

He wasn't so sure that the same thing could be said at this current moment in time. The teen was numb, having exhausted most of his emotions already, and would most likely be more vulnerable to the sight of what he had done in his moment of rage. After all Mana had never actually intended to kill the man, it being a spur of the moment thing. He had snapped due to the fact that the man had tried to kill Neah and even now, despite his ill feeling, Mana still couldn't bring himself to feel remorse over what he had done.

In fact, though he would never admit this fact to anyone and couldn't even bring himself to really admit it to himself, he felt somewhat better owing to the course of action that he had taken.

"That's… disturbing…" Mana muttered as he made his way down the staircase, an old sheet held clenched in his hands. He wasn't looking forward to what he knew he had to do but, swallowing around the lump that had formed in his throat, resolved to do what he had to do. Because he had arrived at the conclusion that he had to hide this deed so that he could remain with his little brother. Neah needed him so he couldn't take responsibility for what had happened… it would have to remain known only to him.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs Mana took a couple of deep breaths, to steady himself, before making his way over to the spot where his father's corpse had been left lying. Spreading out the sheet on the floor Mana quickly pulled his father's remains onto it, wrapping them up before stopping to take a couple more deeps breaths. Fighting off his gag reflex he sat down for a moment, placing his head between his knees in an effort to keep himself from passing out. He could taste the bile that was rising at the back of his throat and had to swallow several times in order to alleviate this problem.

The teen had known this wouldn't be easy but it was turning out to be even more difficult than even he had imagined. After a couple of moments he got to his feet, steeling his resolve before grabbing the corners of the sheet. Pulling the sheet toward the hallway that led to the backyard Mana could feel beads of sweat appear on his forehead. This was more difficult than he had imagined, the man's dead weight shockingly hard to move. And it didn't help that he had been a rather large man.

When he reached the backdoor Mana used his handkerchief to open the door, so that he didn't get blood all over it. He was already going to have to clean up a terrible mess and didn't really want to add to it. That increased the likelihood that he would miss something and that someone would notice, should they come into the house. A slim chance but not one that Mana was willing to take, his thoughts still focused on Neah and doing everything in his power to keep his brother safe.

Which meant that he would have to bury his father and hope that no one stumbled upon the unmarked grave.

As luck would have it the Walker house was positioned in front of a wooded area and it was toward this wooded area that Mana dragged the sheet that contained his father's body. He tried to ignore the sickening 'thud' as he pulled the sheet down the stairs, reminding himself that he was only doing what had to be done and that it was all for Neah.

A vision of the pale and nearly lifeless form of his brother helped to steel Mana's resolve and a grim expression appeared on his face as he stopped at the shed to retrieve a shovel. "You brought this on yourself you unimaginable bastard," the teen muttered as he stowed the shovel under his arm and continued toward the wooded area. After a moderate hike Mana released his grip on the sheet and removed the shovel from beneath his arm.

Raising the shovel the teen began to dig, the only sounds around him the sound of the shovel striking dirt and the singing of the birds who had no idea of the grim task that the boy was occupied with. Working at a steady pace, pausing only a few times to wipe beads of sweat from his brow, it didn't take Mana long to dig a fairly decent sized grave. After taking a moment to catch his breath Mana walked back over to the spot where he had left the sheet, once again gripping the edges and pulling it along on the ground.

Once Mana had the body positioned on the edge of the grave he used his foot to push it over the edge. His eyes widened slightly as he heard the 'thud' of the body hitting the bottom of the grave, sickened by the sound. At this point the teen had to go over to a large tree, sitting down and pressing his back against the trunk, needing the support in this moment.

He felt completely alone in this moment, his mind once again replaying the murder of his father. He shuddered against the vision for a moment before clenching his hands into fists. No! He absolutely refused to feel bad over what he had done.

As far as he was concerned the man had gotten off lightly.

With this thought in mind Mana once again got to his feet, grabbing the shovel and beginning to fill in the grave. He had to hurry and get this over with so that he could return to the house and check on Neah. His brother was counting on him at this point and he refused to let the child down.

* * *

Once Mana had buried the battered corpse of the man that he had once called father he quickly returned to the house. Making a detour to his room he made sure that Neah was still alive before moving to the bathroom. After what he had just done he desperately needed a shower, which would at least get rid of the physical signs of what he had done.

The mental ones were just something that he was stuck with. Nothing would ever be able to erase the images that occasionally flitted into his mind, against his will.

And yet he still felt no remorse.

Taking a quick shower, to remove the blood and dirt from his body, Mana dressed in plain cotton trousers and a white shirt, his hair spiking up slightly as he dried it with the towel. With the towel still draped over his shoulder Mana quickly made his way back down the hall to his room. Stepping in he made his way over to the bed, sitting down beside Neah and placing a hand on his chest. For a moment his heart leapt in his chest but this feeling subsided slightly as he felt the boy's chest rise and then fall.

"Don't scare me like that Neah," Mana chastised in a quiet and somewhat choked voice, despite the fact that the boy couldn't hear his words. Sighing he sat down on the edge of the bed, once again running a hand through his brother's hair. He wanted to make sure that Neah knew that he was there… and that he was safe. "I promise I won't let anyone hurt you again Neah so please… just wake up."

Gazing down at his little brother Mana actually gasped as he heard the child utter a soft whimper. This was the first sign of life that Neah had given, aside from his light breathing, and gave Mana hope that perhaps the little boy truly would recover from this most recent trauma. Reaching over he carefully grasped Neah's right hand, holding it in his own and giving it a comforting squeeze. "Shh, it's alright Neah. I know it hurts little brother and I wish that there was something I could do for the pain but I couldn't find the doctor."

A couple of seconds passed and then Mana felt a slight pressure on his hand… Neah was actually squeezing his hand back. This was a great sign and a small smile appeared on the face of the older sibling. "Neah…" he called out hopefully, thinking that perhaps his brother was going to wake up. "Come on Neah, open your eyes for me little brother."

Neah's face twitched slightly, as though the little boy were trying to obey his brother and open his eyes, but he seemed unable to do so. After a couple of moments the child went still once more, seeming to have exhausted what little strength he still had.

"It's alright Neah," Mana whispered in a soothing voice, leaning so that he was lying beside his brother. Being careful not to further aggravate Neah's injuries, Mana pulled his brother into a comforting embrace. His hope was that his presence would help Neah with his battle, help him to know that he wasn't alone. "I know that you're trying kiddo… just keep fighting for me alright little brother?"

Another weak squeeze of his hand.

"That's good Neah," Mana said, taking his free hand to brush back the boy's hair, which had once again fallen in front of his face. Not surprising really since Neah's hair had always been pretty much impossible to tame. His voice held a note of pride as he spoke to his little brother, finding it had to believe that such a small child had actually managed to survive everything that Neah had endured. "I'm so proud of you little brother… you're so strong. Just keep moving forward… never stop."

With a small sigh Neah's grip on his brother's hand, already weak and difficult to discern, slackened. His small reserve of strength had been depleted and he once again slipped into a deeper state of unconsciousness.

Tears appeared in Mana's eyes as the small hand that he held within his own grew slack but he refused to release it. Despite the fact that Neah was no longer gripping back Mana still wanted to reassure him that he wasn't alone. "It's alright Neah, I know that you're tired. Just rest now little brother. I promise I'll be here with you…"

Laying his head down on the pillow, and continuing to hold his little brother protectively in his arms, Mana finally allowed exhaustion to overcome him. With a sigh he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep… a sleep that was plagued by bloody visions of what he had done to his father. To the man who had given him life. Small whimpering noises escaped his lips as he tossed his head side to side in a listless manner. He instinctively knew that he couldn't thrash about, since he held his brother in his arms, but Mana couldn't keep himself from all movement despite this knowledge.

The teen fully realized that he was dreaming and yet, despite his frantic attempts to wake himself up, he was trapped. The visions wouldn't retreat no matter how forcefully he tried to banish them. Nor could he turn them into something more pleasant.

All he could see was blood.

Blood everywhere.

As the bloody visions grew worse Mana could almost swear that he heard the sound of someone humming, even within this dream world in which he seemed trapped. The sound was soft and soothing and Mana watched as the bloody visions seemed to melt away into blessed darkness. The teen sighed as he slipped into a deeper state of sleep, one that was blissfully free of all dreams.

He had no idea from where the humming had originated, not recognizing the tune, but the fact that it brought him comfort couldn't be denied.

* * *

Mana awoke after several hours, feeling surprisingly rested given the fact that at first his sleep had been plagued by nightmares. Releasing his grip on Neah, he sat up and stretched his arms up over his head. His muscles were aching, most likely a result of the previous day's trauma, and all he wanted to do was soak in hot water. This wasn't something that he had time for at the moment unfortunately and Mana got to his feet and made his way across the room.

"I'll be back in a few minutes Neah," he called out from the doorway.

Leaving the room Mana made his way downstairs toward the kitchen. Passing through the foyer on his way to this particular room Mana was once again reminded of what he had done by the large pool of congealed blood that still decorated the hardwood floor. There were also blood splattered on the walls and the teen knew that he would need to clean up as much of this as possible. But that unpleasant task would just have to wait. Hurrying into the kitchen Mana poured a glass of water before turning around and making his way back upstairs to his room.

Hurrying past the foyer and taking the steps two at a time Mana returned to his room. Walking across the room he sat down on the edge of the bed and gently pulled Neah into his arms. "Come on Neah boy… I brought you some water."

There was no response from the younger child.

Mana sighed as he held the glass to his brother's lips. "I guess we're going to have to do this the hard way then." This said Mana gently pried the boy's lips apart before pouring a small amount of the water into his mouth. Tilting Neah's head back so that the water would trickle down his throat Mana painstakingly gave his brother half the glass of water. He didn't want the boy to become dehydrated after all. Neah already had enough to battle against without that added hurdle.

The boy whimpered once again as Mana placed the glass on the small table that was positioned by the bed. Feeling guilty despite not really knowing what had elicited the whimper from his brother Mana felt the need to apologize, just incase it was him that was causing it. "I'm sorry Neah… I'm not trying to torture you I promise."

In response to this Neah twitched slightly before growing still once more. It appeared as though he still hadn't regained enough strength to be able to move around much but at least he showed signs of being slightly coherent.

"Tell you what kiddo," Mana said, gazing down at his brother, whom he was still holding in his arms. "When you wake up you can yell at me all you want over this. How does that sound?"

There was no response from Neah, not that Mana had really been looking for one at this point.

"Well you just keep that in mind Neah boy," he said quietly as he once again positioned his little brother carefully on the bed. Picking up the child's left arm he began to unwrap the bandages, knowing that he should probably change them. He flinched as his gaze once again fell on the grievous injury that their father had given Neah before Mana grabbed a clean wash cloth and began to carefully dab at the dried blood. Then, once this task was complete, the teen carefully wrapped Neah's arm in clean bandages.

"There," he said once the task was complete, a small and somewhat forced smile on his face as he gazed down at his little brother. "Now that we have that taken care of all that's left is for you to wake up Neah."

A/N - end of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed. I went back and changed the 14th's name in this one, since we know what it is now.


	8. Broken Family

Disclaimer - I do not own DGM

Chapter Eight - Broken Family

A couple of days had passed since Mana had rescued his brother from the wrath of their father and still Neah hadn't regained consciousness. The older of the two brothers had spent this time caring for the younger and his level of concern was only increasing the longer that Neah remained unresponsive. Every so often he would pour some water down the boy's throat, not wanting him to become dehydrated, and the majority of the rest of his time was spent just sitting at Neah's side and speaking softly to the boy.

Mana wasn't sure whether or not Neah could hear the words that he was speaking but wanted his little brother to know that he was there. And that everything was going to be alright now. Safety was such a foreign word to the seven year old but that really was the case now. Their future was uncertain but the one thing Mana vowed to make sure of was that Neah was safe from now on. He owed the child that much at least to make up for having failed to protect him for so many years.

The promise that he had made to their mother on the day that Neah had been born seemed to echo in the teen's mind at this point and Mana resolved that he wouldn't fail again.

"You don't have to worry anymore Neah," Mana whispered in a calm and soothing voice as he ran one hand gently through the other boy's hair. He was hopeful that both the gentle touch and the soothing words would help to reach the child, wherever his mind had wandered off to. "He's gone and can never hurt you again… I swear it's safe so please just wake up."

Neah twitched slightly as his brother spoke to him, which gave Mana hope that he might wake up, but after a moment the boy stilled once more. Mana's face fell but he continued to speak to Neah in a soothing manner. "Come on Neah, please come back to me." Mana had been holding out hope that, since Neah wasn't really getting any worse, he would recover from the injury inflicted by their father. And, in truth, the wound itself was healing fairly well considering the fact that Mana had absolutely no training in the medical profession. Though it seemed as though something was still broken within the boy's mind. It might have been the shock of his father actually trying to kill him or it could even be that Neah had witnessed what his brother had done.

Mana couldn't really say for sure.

"My poor little Neah," the teen said as he ran a hand through his brother's slightly curly hair in a comforting manner. He still felt incredibly guilty for allowing the level of abuse to reach this level but had resolved that there was nothing to do except to move forward. Which he would be more than willing to do if only Neah would wake up.

"Nnnn…" At that moment Neah's face contorted into a grimace of pain as the child let out a low moan, twisting slightly in the bed as though trying in vain to get comfortable. Reaching out Mana carefully pulled his little brother into his arms, holding him securely so that he wouldn't tear out his stitches if his thrashing about grew in intensity. "I'm sorry Neah," he murmured in a low voice, rocking back and forth slightly. "I know that it hurts and I'm sorry for that." Mana couldn't be exactly sure what the cause was, whether it be his words or something else, but Neah stilled after a few moments, his breathing slightly more rapid than it had been before.

After a couple of hours spent in this position Mana placed Neah back in the bed, pulling the covers around him carefully before getting to his feet and stretching his tired and aching muscles. It was difficult to remain in one spot for so long and he felt stiff. That and he really needed to attend to some personal needs. Leaning forward he brushed back a lock of Neah's hair. "I'll be back soon little brother." Once again he had no way to either confirm or deny whether his words were heard but it didn't really matter.

Speaking to Neah made him feel at least a little better, if nothing else.

With these parting words Mana gave one final stretch before turning away from the bed in which his brother was lying and making his way across the room. He was reluctant to leave his brother for any length of time but he knew that he had to take care of himself so that he could be there for his brother woke up. And it was 'when' because Mana absolutely refused to think of the situation in terms of 'if'.

His little brother was going to be okay.

* * *

For awhile after Mana left the only sound that filled the room was an occasional moan from Neah but, after about an hour, the boy once again began to stir. The first thing that Neah became aware of as his consciousness slowly returned to him was a burning pain in his left arm, which caused the child to suck in a sharp breath and then clench his teeth together to stifle any further noises. He was accustomed to hiding his pain and suppressing any such noises, since they all too often simply made the situation worse for him. For a moment the boy's face was scrunched up into a grimace but then he forced one of his eyes to open, his vision slightly blurry as he gazed about the room.

He was alone.

Neah felt his heart rate quicken as he realized this fact, pulling himself into a sitting position and gasping as pain shot down the entire length of his forearm and a wave of dizziness rose to make his head spin. Cradling the injured limb against his chest Neah gazed about through wide gray eyes, taking deep breaths in an effort to get rid of the dizzy feeling and the subsequent nausea that had appeared with it. He vaguely recalled what had happened, the incident between him and his father, but had lost consciousness soon after his brother had struck their father so he didn't know what had happened after that.

Was Mana alright? Had something happened to his brother?

If that was the case then Neah knew that it was all his fault and his breathing quickened right along with his heart rate as these persistent thoughts plagued him. His brother had only been trying to protect him and Neah didn't even want to think about something bad happening to his brother… the only one that he actually considered family. Taking a moment to allow the feeling of dizziness that had overwhelmed him the moment that he sat up to dissipate the boy carefully scooted to the edge of the bed. Neah gazed around the room once more but in his slightly panicked state the boy didn't even stop to contemplate how he had ended up in his brother's room.

Hopping down from the bed Neah didn't even notice the fact that the thick bandages that covered his left arm were now stained with spots of crimson. The seven year old's mind was focused on other things and he quickly, though somewhat shakily, made his way toward the door. Neah desperately wanted to find his brother and make sure that nothing had happened to him and not even the fire that seemed to be blazing in his arm was going to dissuade him from doing this. Ignoring both that and the feeling of nausea the child opened the door and left the room.

As always Neah kept to the shadows that were always present in the large and poorly lit house, creeping along as though a ghost. "Please be okay Mana…" The little boy couldn't keep his voice from breaking as he whispered these words. He was so afraid that his brother had gotten hurt because of him; something that he had been fearing for years now and the main reason why he always tried so hard to hide his frequent injuries from his big brother. He hadn't failed to see the fire that always appeared in Mana's normally kind brown eyes whenever he learned that their father had once again caused harm to his youngest and Neah had been scared that he would do something in retaliation.

Which was now exactly what had happened.

"This is all my fault," Neah moaned in a barely audible voice as he set about searching the house for any signs of his older brother. It was slow going, because he was weak and shaky, but the seven year old was determined to press on. When he reached the downstairs foyer his gray eyes subconsciously flicked to the spot where the confrontation with his father had occurred… only to find that there wasn't so much as a trace that anything had happened their. Someone had cleaned the floor and that only caused Neah's heart to drop further into his stomach.

Stifling a slight sob Neah slowly made his way toward the one room that he avoided at all costs. The house was eerily silent but this didn't decrease the little boy's fear. Quiet the opposite, it actually caused it to increase but he was too worried about his brother to hide like his instincts were urging him to do. Reaching up with a slightly shaking hand Neah pulled the door open and hesitantly stepped inside, his entire body trembling as his gray eyes took in the familiar room. The scene of so much of the torture that he had endured in his lifetime. The room looked much the same as the last time that he had seen it however it too was empty.

Finally overcome with fatigue and unable to go any further Neah sank to his knees, his left arm still cradled against his chest and silent tears streaming down his face. It didn't really bother him that his father was nowhere to be found, since he had absolutely no desire to find that cruel man, but the fact that he couldn't find his brother greatly upset the little boy. And still he expressed his pain silently, occasionally wiping at the tears that were streaming down his face with his right hand.

And completely oblivious to the fact that the bandages covering his left were slowly turning from white to crimson.

* * *

Having cleaned up somewhat and gotten a small bite to eat Mana made his way back to his room to check on Neah. He felt much better now, his muscles no longer stiff from maintaining the same position, and the teen was ready to resume his vigil over his brother. However he was surprised to find that the door of his room, which he was sure that he had closed when he left, was now open. Shaking his head slightly Mana stepped inside and gasped as his brown eyed gaze fell upon an empty bed.

"Neah!"

Mixed emotions rose inside the older of the siblings as he made this discovery: on the one hand he was happy that his brother had regained consciousness but on the other hand he was worried. Where had the child gone? Mana quickly searched his room but, as expected, found no trace of his little brother. Reaching up and running a hand through his hair Mana whirled around and quickly left the room, desperate to find Neah and make sure that he was alright.

"Did he see?" This was the question that had been nagging at the back of his mind since the incident with their father and something that Mana had only had marginal success in pushing to the side. Had Neah borne witness to his act of brutal violence? That was Mana's greatest fear at this point because if Neah had indeed seen what he had done it might cause the younger boy to actually become scared of him. True the man had tormented Neah for the majority of his life but that couldn't completely erase the level of violence that had been involved in his death.

Or the fact that Mana had been the one to end his life.

With a heavy sigh Mana forced all of these thoughts to the back of his mind as he set about searching for his little brother. He could deal with the what ifs and maybes one he had found Neah and made sure that he was alright. After searching the upstairs rooms thoroughly Mana refocused his search on the downstairs, taking the stairs two at a time and arriving in the foyer somewhat out of breath. His brown eyes quickly scanned the area and, to his utter surprise, the teen saw that the door of his father's study was open.

"Surely he didn't…"

The possibility that Neah had actually gone into that hellish room of his own accord was something that Mana couldn't even fathom but since the door was open and he knew for a fact that he hadn't opened it that was the only conclusion that the brown haired teen could reach. Fueled by his fear Mana quickened his steps as he walked over to the door of the study, pushing it open further and stepping inside.

Hearing the sound of someone entering the room Neah gasped and tensed up, turning slowly to look over his shoulder.

Mana gasped at almost the same instant that Neah did but for an entirely different reason. The surprise that he had initially felt over finding the little boy in this room were completely overshadowed by the sight of the blood that had soaked through the bandages that were wrapped around his left arm. Rushing forward Mana sank to his knees at his brother's side and pulled Neah into his embrace, being careful not to hurt him as he did so.

"Don't ever scare me like that again," he choked out as he placed a hand on the younger boy's head. Now that he had found Neah, his heart was beginning to beat at a more normal pace and he allowed himself to feel a brief moment of relief before the concern that he felt returned in full force. "Your arm's bleeding… c'mon Neah, we have to take care of that."

Neah had been shocked for a moment when his brother had rushed in and embraced him, his gray eyes wide, but now that he had recovered somewhat from the initial surprise he gripped his brother's shirt tightly with his right hand. "I thought… thought something had happened to you."

Mana heard the slight break in the voice of his younger brother and this caused his feelings of guilt to once again rise to the forefront. "Sorry that I worried you kiddo but I promise that I'll always be here for you Neah." At least until the younger boy no longer needed him. That was the decision that he had reached after his brief bout of violence.

Neah nodded his head and then made an attempt to get to his feet, stumbling as he did so and nearly falling on his face. With a slight chuckle Mana prevented the smaller boy from falling before gently scooping Neah up into his arms bridal style. "Mana you don't have to…" the younger Walker began only to be interrupted by the older. "I'm not going to listen to any arguments Neah. You're still weak and I'd rather not watch you fall onto your face."

Neah huffed out a breath but didn't protest further, seeming to know that it wouldn't work even if he did.

"I know it's irritating," Mana said as he quickly left the study and made his way back upstairs to his room, with Neah held gently against his chest. He could tell that his brother was frustrated, both by the huff and the expression that had appeared in his expressive smoky eyes but that didn't change the way that he felt about the situation in the least. The younger boy was just going to have to learn to accept help sometimes, whether he wanted to or not. "But it's just something that you're going to have to deal with until you get your strength back."

Arriving back in his room Mana carried Neah back over to the bed and gently placed the younger boy down. Reaching out he grabbed his first aid supplies from the bedside table where he had left them, placing them on the bed before he moved to unwrap the bandages that were wrapped around Neah's left arm. As the bloodstained bandages fell away Mana shook his head slightly as he caught his first glimpses of the wound and saw that Neah had managed to pull some of the stitches loose. "I guess we should go and see if the doctor is home…" It was a risky thing to do, given the circumstances, but Mana didn't want to re-stitch the wound now that Neah was awake.

Mainly because he didn't have anything to numb it with.

Neah caught the change in his brother's expression and he shook his head. He could tell that Mana was nervous about something and, thinking that maybe it had something to do with what had happened, he made a suggestion. "You can fix it Mana."

"I can't Neah," Mana said quickly, shaking his own head. "It would hurt."

"I don't care," Neah said stubbornly, giving his brother a pointed look. "You can fix it or we can just leave it the way that it is."

Mana could tell, simply by the tone in the younger boy's voice, that Neah was going to make this difficult. His little brother could be infuriatingly stubborn at times and Mana instinctively knew that this was going to be one of those times. Crossing his arms over his chest the teen gave the younger boy a pointed look. "Why do you have to be so difficult Neah?"

The reply that the younger boy offered up nearly broke Mana's heart. "Because something happened… I can see it in your eyes. And I don't want you to have to suffer any more." After everything that Neah had endured his concern was still focused on his brother instead of on himself. Shaking his head Mana fought to keep himself from crying as he heard these words. "Alright," he relented, knowing that he was doomed to lose the argument regardless of what he said. "We'll do this your way but I warn you now Neah… it's going to hurt."

"I can deal with it," Neah said stoically.

"I'm sure that you can." Taking a clean cloth Mana dabbed at the blood before he pulled a small knife from his pocket. Thankfully Neah had only pulled a few of the stitches loose and Mana cut those before once again retrieving the needle that he had used before. Having gotten a fair amount of practice the first time Mana was much faster this time and soon he had the replacement stitches in place and Neah's left arm wrapped in fresh bandages.

Neah flinched a couple of times but didn't so much as utter a sound as his brother worked. When Mana was finished Neah offered him a somewhat shaky smile, once again pulling his left arm to his chest and cradling it there. "Mana… what happened to Father?" Neah knew that his older brother had struck the man but he had blacked out after that.

Mana hesitated for a brief moment before he replied, "He's dead."

Mana was more than a little surprised by the lack of emotion in his voice as he waited for Neah to further question him. He would answer whatever questions the younger boy might have; he owed him that much. But Neah surprised him when he merely nodded his head once and then seemingly completely dropped the subject. "So what are we going to do now?"

"I haven't figured that part out yet," Mana admitted, reaching out and ruffling his brother's hair. "But don't worry, I'll think of something."

Neah nodded once more before lying down and curling himself into a ball, his eyes closing within minutes. His exertions had spent what little energy he had and he was exhausted, sleep claiming him quickly.

"Rest little brother," Mana said as his gaze lingered on his brother. "I'll think of something."

His little broken family would survive; Mana resolved that he would make sure of that.

A/N - End of another chapter, hope that you enjoyed.


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